ICSS Statement: Suspected match-fixing in tennis

In 2014, the International Centre for Sport Security and Sorbonne University research identified Tennis as the third most vulnerable international sport to betting-related fraud through match manipulation.

According to the report, tennis was identified because it was a sport desirable to concentrated international gambling and that the integrity and governance structure established were viewed as extremely opaque and self-protective.

In order to properly address match-fixing and the real threat that organised crime now presents to sport, there must be a collective and concerted international effort by governments to share intelligence and introduce stronger legislation to empower law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute match-fixing.

Furthermore, the recent reports alleging the perpetuation of the crime of match fixing highlight why the ICSS believes that from a governance perspective, sport integrity units who are managed and funded by their respective sports governing bodies should also be truly independent in the way they operate.

The recent sport integrity issues in tennis, football and athletics suggests this is currently not the case and further highlights why self-regulation of integrity issues by sport governing bodies simply does not work.

At the ICSS, we believe it is time for a drastic rethink in the way sport handles its ongoing integrity problems, as well as a complete overhaul of its governance structures, ideally resulting in the establishment of neutral international body that regulates sport integrity.