IOC enters fight against irregular and illegal sports betting

Representatives from the sports world, governments, international organisations and betting operators were invited, and the aim of this first meeting was to recognise the absolute need to protect the integrity of sports competition, notably by combating irregular and illegal betting the IOC states on their website.

According to UK paper The Times, IOC president Jacques Rogge said that “Illegal betting is $140 billion, which is a huge amount of money, and we heard from Interpol that it’s on the rise. Sport is in danger in general. It’s not about the Olympic Games. There is no safe haven. There is illegal betting where there is broadband internet.”  

Rogge said that the IOC “Have to be ready as soon as possible”, when however was not determined but Rogge admitted  that the matter is “of urgency”.

Rogge was happy with the meeting and stated, in a press release on the IOC website, that “I am pleased with the fruitful discussions we had today and the progress we made in many areas, all of which will be communicated to our partners in the Olympic Movement in due time”.

The specific outcome of the meeting was a joint declaration made by the participants, saying that they have decided “to create a working group, made up of representatives of the sports movement, governments, international organisations and betting operators in order to examine the points above and formulate initial conclusions on the measures to be taken between now and the end of 2011”. 

Read the joint declaration from the meeting here

SOURCE: THETIMES.COM and OLYMPIC.ORG