David Calvete, head of the Central Service of Gambling and Betting Control of the National Police, warns of the magnitude of this phenomenon that has become a global business that manages huge figures due to online gambling.

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Sport's new big enemy: competition rigging

Doping, which for years was the main focus of concern in the world of sport, has been put on the back burner. Today, the greatest threat to the integrity of sporting competitions is another: match-fixing. So says David Calvete, head of the Central Service of Gambling and Betting Control of the National Police, who warns that this phenomenon goes beyond the local level and has become a global business that manages astronomical figures thanks to online betting.

Although the rigging of sports competitions is not something new and has existed for a long time, the situation has changed drastically in recent years due to the ease offered by the world of online betting. Criminal networks see in match-fixing a golden opportunity to generate huge profits, and the worrying thing is that they are no longer limited to football, the sport most affected by its popularity, but are present in practically all disciplines, including some less mediatic ones such as table tennis or basketball.

Calvete stresses that the biggest problem is not only the economic magnitude of the phenomenon, but that these organisations operate on an international level, making the fight against this type of crime require constant collaboration between police forces from different countries. ‘It's a global battle,’ he explains. The operations carried out by his unit, such as the well-known Operation Mursal, are the result of months of coordinated work with police agencies around the world, and often involve young athletes who, because of their vulnerability, become easy prey for these mafias.

Operation Mursal: a global strike

Operation Mursal is one of the biggest successes in the fight against match-fixing, dismantling a network that operated in no less than 56 countries. The criminals involved in the scheme focused on recruiting young sportsmen and women, promising them financial benefits in exchange for altering the results of the matches in which they participated. This is a common pattern in this type of crime: the networks seek out players with financial or personal problems, offering them an ‘easy way out’ of their difficulties in exchange for participating in match-fixing.

The alarming thing is that such proposals do not always have to materialise to be considered a crime. According to Calvete, the mere fact of trying to convince an athlete to participate in match-fixing is already a crime, even if the player does not accept. This makes grooming one of the main concerns of the security forces and explains the importance of preventive programmes aimed, above all, at the lower categories.

Another aspect complicating the fight against match-fixing is the use of advanced technology by criminal organisations. Groups operating in this area often use sophisticated cybercrime techniques to hide their activities and launder the money obtained through illegal gambling. This has forced authorities to strengthen collaboration between different units, such as cybercrime and money laundering units, in order to combat the problem more effectively.

Nevertheless, the road to eradicating sports match-fixing is a long one. Calvete insists that it is vital to maintain constant vigilance and adopt a collaborative approach between public and private entities in order to curb this scourge. ‘The key is cooperation,’ he says.

Prevention: education as a fundamental tool

One of the main tools in the fight against match-fixing is education. That is why this week the FES Integrity project was launched in Melilla, a pioneering initiative in Spain aimed at raising awareness among young sportsmen and women about the dangers of match-fixing. The aim is to instil values such as honesty, loyalty and integrity, and to make young people understand that the temptation to participate in match-fixing can ruin not only their career, but also the credibility of sport as a whole.

This project involves experts from various institutions, including representatives from LaLiga, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the betting industry, all of whom are committed to curbing this phenomenon. The organisers stress that it is essential that young people understand from the outset the risks they may face and that the only way to preserve the integrity of sport is to maintain a firm commitment to fair play.

Match-fixing is one of the biggest threats facing sport today, and its impact goes beyond the financial. If left unchecked, it could jeopardise the very essence of competition, which fans rely on to see fair matches and genuine results.

Police, federations and athletes themselves are increasingly aware of the problem, and while the road ahead is long, the battle against match-fixing has begun in earnest. Ultimately, the key to preserving sport is to ensure that integrity always prevails against the temptations of those who seek to take advantage of it.