MAGAZINE OF THE EUROPEAN LOTTERIES, 2011, SEPTEMBER ...

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SPORTS BETTING MORE THAN EVER UNDER CONTROL! Hans Christian Madsen, CEO, Danske Spil (left) and EL President Friedrich Stickler The EL Monitoring System was officially implemented in May 2008, although this service already exists since 2005. Match-fixing is not a new issue, but in the light of the alarming increase of the phenomenon of manipulations of sporting events, such a system has proven its significance, not only concerning football games, but also for all sports competitions such as tennis, hockey, cricket, etc. Match-fixing calls all stakeholders into question. The laissez-faire approach of certain sports organisations, indifference of the authorities and pressure from criminal organisations have created an unhealthy sports environment. So far there has been no due diligence to identify the details about the teams and players. Very few institutions have charters outlining the respective responsibilities and very rarely are sanctions imposed. Corruption has become so omnipresent that the critics were finally heard by proving that this is detrimental for sports integrity in general, affects the respect of the public towards the players as well as the confidence in sports betting and the organisations managing these games and bets. MONITORING SYSTEM The EL Monitoring System has since then had a serious impact and the numbers prove it: From July 2009 to April 2011: - 1,399 league matches have been monitored - 1,362 Champions League matches - 175 women’s football matches - 463 international matches - etc. A total of 3,743 matches have been closely watched by the group of experts in charge of the Monitoring System. In addition, 66 matches have been reported to UEFA and FIFA during this period. The problem of illegality in matches has now reached global dimensions and in the future the ELMS will extend its field of action beyond Europe to incorporate new Lottery members and broaden the Monitoring System to include all sorts of sports activities at an international level. EL signed an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding with Danske Spil for the period from June 2011 to May 2013. The member Lotteries very much appreciate the work achieved in this area, namely the adoption of clear regulations to protect the integrity of competitions, the implementation of verification, alert and precaution systems as well as improving the relationship with major sports organisations. They are happy to continue the collaboration with the office of the EL Monitoring System, which will contribute to strengthen their sports betting operations by assisting them not only to recognize the dangers in certain matches, but also to eliminate opportunities for corruption. Bernadette Lobjois Secretary General Danske Spil A/S in Brøndby/Denmark expanded the Monitoring System group. Chris Rasmussen joined Jens Nielsen, Head of Sports Betting Operations and also Chairman of the Sports Working Group. A monthly report is sent to the member Lotteries of the Monitoring System. 36 NEWS 37 SEPTEMBER 2011
Androulla Vassiliou (1 st rank, 6 th from left), Commissioner in charge of Sport, with the participants of the high-level structured dialogue on sport HEARING AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: EL PRESIDENT FRIEDRICH STICKLER ADDRESSES MEMBERS OF THE IMCO COMMITTEE On 15 June 2011, the European Parliament held a public hearing on on-line gambling. The hearing took place in the framework of the European Parliament’s deliberations on the European Commission’s Green Paper on on-line gambling. The European Lotteries was one of only two gambling operators associations invited to present its views at this hearing. In his presentation, Friedrich Stickler outlined the EL guiding principles for a sustainable gambling policy: solidarity, subsidiarity, integrity and precaution. Focusing on integrity in particular, he stressed the need for full legal compliance and strict enforcement, highlighting that countries should not give licences to operators who operate illegally in another country of the European Union. The hearing was well attended by the key Members of the European Parliament who are playing an active role in the debate on the Green Paper as well as a large number of stakeholders. EU SPORTS COUNCIL: EL PARTICIPATES IN HIGH- LEVEL STRUCTURED DIALOGUE ON SPORT EL, represented by its President Friedrich Stickler, was invited to attend a high-level meeting between key EU policy-makers and sport stakeholders which took place in Brussels on 20 May 2011. The highlevel meeting preceded the important EU Sports Council, at which the sports ministers of the EU Member States adopted a three-year work plan on sport, which defines the sustainable financing of grassroots sport and the integrity of sport as two of the top three priorities until 2014. In his intervention, Friedrich Stickler stressed the great benefit that European sport has drawn for over 50 years from the public benefit model for gambling and betting that EL Members stand for and the sport funding resulting from it. He noted that this model is being challenged by hundreds of online gambling companies which pursue purely commercial interests and ignore the interests of sport. In the subsequent debate on sport-related aspects of online betting, EU sport ministers expressed their EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT concern about the “invasion of illegal betting sites” defying national laws, control and taxation and about the increase of match-fixing incidents and other manipulations of sport competitions associated with betting. EL President Stickler also participated in a follow-up debate on online betting between the highest level sport officials from the Member States at a Sports Directors meeting in Gödöllö (Hungary) on 27 June. As in his presentation to the Members of the European Parliament’s IMCO committee, he outlined to the Sports Directors the EL guiding principles for a sustainable gambling policy: solidarity, subsidiarity, integrity and precaution. Focusing on integrity in particular, he stressed the need for full legal compliance and strict enforcement, highlighting that countries should not give licences to operators who operate illegally in another country of the European Union. EL and “Sport et Citoyenneté” roundtable discussion with MEP Santiago Fisas-Ayxela On 24 May 2011, EL and the think tank “Sport et Citoyenneté” jointly organised a roundtable discussion on the integrity of sport and the financing of grassroots sport. The roundtable took place inside the European Parliament and was attended by a select group of EU policy makers and stakeholders working closely on the issue. The key speaker at the workshop was MEP Santiago Fisas-Ayxela, the Member of the European Parliament leading on the European Parliament’s report on the European Commission’s Sport strategy. President Stickler presented the EL priorities on the dossier, stressing the contributions lotteries make to sport and the importance of preserving the integrity of sport, addressing also the problems linked to a potential sports owners right. The roundtable was moderated by the Vice-President of “Sport et Citoyenneté”, Vincent Chaudel. The independent expert Alexandre Husting, a member of the scientific committee of “Sport et Citoyenneté”, contributed his expert views on the topic. 37 NEWS 37 SEPTEMBER 2011
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Page 3 and 4: FOREWORD DEAR EL MEMBERS, DEAR FRIE
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