TYPES OF FRAUD
Sport-specific fraud
With regard to sports fraud - i.e. fraud specific to sport - the PrOFS project focused mainly on competition manipulation. According to the definition of the Macolin Convention of the Council of Europe (2014), sports manipulation can be defined as:
An intentional arrangement, act or omission aimed at inappropriately altering the outcome or course of a sporting event in order to eliminate, in whole or in part, the unpredictable nature of the said sporting event with a view to obtaining an unlawful advantage for oneself or for others. (art. 3.4)
The Macolin Convention distinguishes between three types of sports fraud:
TYPE 1
Sporty match fixing
Non-gambling match fixing, or sporting match fixing, is an illegal practice in which athletes, coaches, officials or others involved in a sporting competition deliberately influence the outcome of the match (or parts of it) in order to gain personal advantage. This includes deliberate actions to influence the outcome of a match, such as the score progression or the winner of the match.
Athletes, coaches, officials or other involved parties
There can be various motives for claiming license fraud, such as:
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financial motives; such as not being subject to controls or restrictive conditions
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sporty motifs; participate in a competition or competition
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other motifs; friendship, forcing coach to resign, fatigue, avoiding long travel distances...
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Suppose a team is trying to avoid promotion. This is because they would rather be a stronger team in a lower league than a weak team in a higher league.
Moreover, promotion would require them to travel significantly longer distances. They will therefore deliberately perform below their level in the next match, which is a form of sporting match fixing.
Sports match fixing occurs in all sports, across all competition levels.
PrOFS research in tennis and football showed that 6.9% of football players and 5.6% of tennis players have been involved in sporting match fixing
Gambling related match fixing
Betting-related match fixing refers to the manipulation of sporting events with the aim of influencing the outcome of matches (or parts of them) so that it benefits those who have placed bets. In the event that actions are manipulated during a match (e.g. missing a serve) without determining the end result, this is known as spot fixing. These actions are often agreed in advance with bookmakers or gamblers, who place bets on these specific partial outcomes.
Gambling-related match fixing can involve athletes, coaches, referees, or even outsiders
Financial motives are mainly the basis of gambling-related match fixing.
Criminal organizations or gambling syndicates approach (financially) vulnerable athletes to persuade them to manipulate specific moments in matches. For example, the athletes are instructed to deliberately lose a point, game, or set. The criminals then place bets on these pre-arranged events in order to earn high profits. During the competition, the athletes carry out the agreements, resulting in the desired outcome. Afterwards, both the gambling syndicates and the athletes involved share in the profits.
Gambling-related match fixing can occur in all sports for which there is a betting market. Not only is gambling on professional or elite sports, but we also see gambling-related match fixing in youth leagues or at amateur level.
TYPE 2
Manipulation of personal data of athletes
The manipulation of athletes' personal data, such as age or identity falsification, is a form of sport-specific fraud. Incorrect information about the athlete is provided so that he can participate in competitions for which he is not actually eligible.
Athletes, coaches, board...
There may be several reasons for the manipulation of athletes' personal data:
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competitive advantages: In age falsification, older athletes typically have a physical and mental advantage over their younger opponents. They can also remain active longer in youth competitions
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other advantages: if the nationality is forged, a team can attract good players who would otherwise not be able to bring in.
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Falsifying data such as age mainly occurs in sports where age categories play a role, such as youth competitions. This can provide a competitive advantage. Older athletes usually have a physical and mental advantage over their younger opponents. In addition to the competitive advantage, the age of athletes can be falsified so that they can remain active in sports for longer (e.g. in youth competition).
The falsification of athletes' personal information can occur in all sports and at all levels of competition.
Within PrOFS, research was conducted into various types of fraud in sports clubs. The respondents indicated the following matters regarding the manipulation of personal data of athletes:
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6.1% of respondents indicated that athletes' personal data (e.g. age or nationality) was manipulated
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2.9% indicated that certifications were manipulated (note: these do not apply to every sport, so this may be an underestimate)
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2% indicated that sports performance was manipulated
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TYPE 3
License fraud
License fraud means that sports clubs or sports agents commit fraud when applying for licenses or complying with license conditions. License fraud can therefore involve license fraud or operating without a license.
License fraud can be committed by sports clubs or sports agents.
There can be various motives for claiming license fraud, such as:
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financial motives; such as not being subject to controls or restrictive conditions
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sporty motifs; participate in a competition or competition
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License fraud can be committed by making false statements (for example about social security debts), false documents (for example contracts), failure to comply with license conditions or obligations (for example not communicating important changes).
Licensing (and therefore the possibility of such fraud) mainly plays a role in professional sports, and in regulating the profession of sports agent.
3.5% of sports clubs indicate that they do not meet the licensing requirements of the federation and deliberately conceal this