Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1302895
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 OCTOBER 2020 NEWS Swiss MP rails against Malta block on illegal sports betting MATTHEW VELLA THE gaming market forms a big part of the Maltese economy, having generated jobs and gov- ernment revenues through the relocation of businesses to Malta, as well as increased tax and fees for the state coffers. But a long-drawn out opposi- tion from Malta to a convention on sports competition manipu- lation has bogged down the rat- ification of the treaty inside the European Union. The European Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Com- petitions (Macolin Convention) calls upon member states to up- hold sports competition integ- rity against manipulations. But in five years, only seven states of the Council of Europe have rati- fied the Convention; and while 31 have signed it, 19 are EU mem- ber states entangled in a deadlock created by Malta. Malta insists that the Macolin Convention's definition of "illegal sports betting" – which outlaws any betting activ- ity if it is not licensed in the jurisdiction where the consumer is located – does not contribute to the fight against match-fixing. Indeed, such a definition bears consequences for the Maltese gaming sector, since the majority of companies registered in Malta take bets from all over the world. Malta says bet- ting services should also enjoy free move- ment in the EU, so a betting service registered in Malta should be ac- cepted in all other mem- ber states – and not having to seek a licence in each in- dividual country it offers its bets in. The Maltese want to amend the Convention's definition, by spec- ifying that illegal sports betting is specifically the "manipulation" of sports competitions; but the PACE rapporteur on the con- vention disagrees, saying it would make enforcement of criminal laws of other Council of Europe member states dependent on the proof of "manipulation". The Maltese managed to block EU ratification of the Conven- tion because in 2015, the Euro- KURT SANSONE CORRUPTION in sports is in- creasingly coming on the radar of law enforcement agencies in their fight against money laun- dering and financial crime. A Europol report last summer identified football as a money laundering paradise for organ- ised crime networks. The EU agency warned that in its more sophisticated form, criminals took possession of clubs through generous sponsor- ships and eventual ownership. It warned that practitioners in- volved in sports often addressed the issue only from a sports in- tegrity perspective because they lacked awareness on the involve- ment of organised crime. Within this context, Malta is set to up its game next year and the budget presented last Mon- day has committed €500,000 for the creation of a new Sports In- tegrity Authority. Sports parliamentary secretary Clifton Grima told MaltaToday the authority will provide a na- tional platform on match-fixing to strengthen the fight against corruption. "The authority will not replace the work of the police but it will provide an important platform that brings stakeholders togeth- er to share information, raise awareness and engage in educa- tional campaigns," he said. But the authority's remit will be wider. It will be tasked with regulating sports organisations, which will help foster good governance, and also act as the country's anti-doping agency. Europol warned that organ- ised crime groups often target lowly clubs, where the lure of easy money makes it easier to recruit willing participants. Grima said proper regula- tion will enhance good govern- ance and more importantly im- prove the standards of sporting entities. A Bill setting up the authority is in draft stage and Grima expects to take it before parliament by the end of the year or the begin- ning of 2021. The new authority will draw a distinction between the regula- tory and operational aspects of sports, according to the Bill's au- thor, Chris Bonett. A former vice president of the Malta Football Association, who also worked as integrity officer at UEFA, the European football- ing authority, Bonett chairs the Sports Integrity Advisory Board set up last year by the secretariat. "The new authority will ef- fectively create a demarcation line between the regulatory and governance aspects of Maltese sport, which will now fall within the remit of the new body, and the provision of monetary as- sistance to national federations, sports services to the commu- nity and the operation of gov- ernment sports facilities, which will remain in the remit of Sport Malta," he said. The authority will be responsi- ble for the country's anti-doping efforts, providing more in-com- petition and out-of-competition tests. This will bring Malta in line with the new World An- ti-Doping Code that comes into force in January. Without this authority, Malta will fall foul of the new anti-drug rules. It will also encompass a sports integrity unit to coordinate the fight against match-fixing through information shar- ing between domestic enti- ties and foreign agencies. The third function of the authority is to regulate sports organisations. Bonett said this was important at a time when increased commer- cialisation has pumped more money into sport. The need for structured and transparent or- ganisations run on good govern- ance principles has grown, he added. The proposal draws on the ex- perience of other countries by centralising efforts to ensure proper regulation and protect the integrity of sports competi- tions into one structure. "This is similar to what hap- pened in Finland and Australia where centralised authorities unify all the pillars of sports in- tegrity and are given all the re- sources and support to carry out this vital mission," Bonett said. He hopes that the authority will be the first step that takes the country to the next level in sports. "It will enable us to start thinking big, including the pos- sibility of having a ministry ded- icated entirely to sport," he said. ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Upping the game: new sports authority promises to fight corruption, doping A budget commitment to invest €500,000 in a new Sports Integrity Authority is set to herald a new era for sports in Malta A Europol report last summer identified football as a money laundering paradise for organised crime networks