Certain economic and socio-political tendencies are determinant factors when countries bid for an Olympic Games, says a statistical study showing that long-term economic growth, long-term history of autocracy or prioritising of health are among the decisive factors.

Choosing permanent Olympic host cities, one on each continent, could help the IOC secure cheaper and more sustainable events while living up to their own Olympic values, argues Igor Kovač in this commentary piece.

Hamburg drops its planned bid for the 2024 Olympics after a majority of its citizens voted no in a public referendum.

The International Olympic Committee’s ‘Agenda 2020’ is a series of reforms that include sweeping changes to the host city bidding process. But will the changes be effective and do they go far enough?

Cost overruns and absent tourism benefits are the norm when hosting mega-events, US economist Andrew Zimbalist told Play the Game 2015. And according to Hans Bruyninckx from the European Environmental Agency, hosts should also start thinking about the carbon footprints of their events.

Beware of the anti-match fixing industry, fixing expert Declan Hill told Play the Game 2015. Not everyone is working towards the same goal.

The second half of the opening session of Play the Game 2015 focused on FIFA reform and the ongoing criminal enquiry into corruption at the organisation.

Does the Hamburg 2024 bid represent the future of the Olympic Games or are the underlying mechanisms still the same, giving old-fashioned bids a new legitimacy? Leading up to a local referendum in November Dennis Pauschinger comments on what he sees as the discrepancy between the words and the action in the Hamburg 2024 bid plans.