The organization Play the Game, which is affiliated with the Danish Institute for Sports Studies, is proposing that sports establish an umbrella organization to combat, for example, corruption, match-fixing, illegal betting, money laundering, and doping-related crimes.
Over 200 experts and members of sports organizations have been consulted during the process of the initiative, called ClearingSport.
Acknowledged problem
Our initiative comes now because sports have acknowledged that there is a problem over the past ten years. Now, they have developed tons of resolutions, guidelines, conventions, and laws, but very little has been implemented, says Jens Sejer Andersen, senior advisor and founder of Play the Game, to TT.
There are thousands of billions in circulation when it comes to, for example, money laundering through betting, bribes within sports organizations, and how much the illegal gaming market turns over each year, according to the organization's mapping.
Those who work in politics and in prosecution authorities are calling for better opportunities for cooperation. Much of the criminality linked to sports is cross-border. Match-fixing can involve 10-15 countries, which makes it super difficult for the actors who investigate this, says Jens Sejer Andersen.
Getting the ball rolling
Play the Game has not developed a detailed proposal for what the umbrella organization should look like.
There are a range of problems that require cooperation between different sectors, and we envision that a new unit in cooperation with other actors will create the framework and rules by defining a minimum standard. And then ensure that this minimum standard is complied with, says Jens Sejer Andersen.
