Spain Approves the Creation of Commission to Combat Sports Manipulation

The Ministry of the Presidency in Spain has approved the creation of a national commission to combat match-fixing and betting-related fraud.

According to the Ministry, the commission will “develop action plans [and] recommendations or diagnoses to detect, prevent and combat illegal actions in the field of sports competitions and fraud in betting.”

Members of the commission will include representatives of Spain’s gambling regulator (DGOJ), the National Police, the Civil Guard, the Higher Sports Council and persons related to sports competitions and the betting sector. The Commission will be chaired on a rotating basis by the head of the DGOJ and the Directorate General of Sports.

The commission’s first task will be to develop a new early warning system developed by the DGOJ, which is intended to act as a point of communication to prevent match-fixing and fraud.

“Corruption linked to the manipulation of sports competitions and betting-related fraud are two of the greatest threats to sport and horse racing, as it undermines each sport’s core values ​​and ruins the experience for fans and spectators. For this reason… the Government has considered it necessary to establish at the national level a formalised channel of dialogue and cooperation between public authorities, sports organizations, organizers of competitions sports and representatives of the gaming sector,” the Ministry said.