Ottawa – July 13, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), are proud to announce a pilot project to help national sport organizations (NSOs) effectively manage the threat of competition manipulation. Six organizations have committed to working with the CCES for 18 months to implement a competition manipulation policy, which will be supported by education, reporting, monitoring, investigations, and disciplinary proceedings.
The pilot will run from June 2022 through to December 2023 during which the CCES will support participants through:
- Policy: Development and implementation of a custom competition manipulation policy, which includes the establishment of jurisdiction and responsibilities.
- Education: Mandatory education for everyone under the policy’s jurisdiction through a new CCES e-learning course and optional in-person sessions for staff and board members.
- Reporting: Participants will have access to the CCES’s confidential reporting tools to manage reports of suspicious activities.
- Monitoring: Competition monitoring by a leading sport technology company that can identify irregular and suspicious betting patterns.
- Investigations/Disciplinary Proceedings: Investigation services should the need arise, along with assistance on disciplinary proceedings.
Project feedback will inform how best to protect the entire Canadian sport community from risks and harms associated with competition manipulation. New in August 2021, Bill C-218, the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act amended the Criminal Code to legalize single-event sports betting in Canada, providing opportunities for regulatory frameworks to manage single-event sport betting in each province, consumer protections, and increased economic potential. However, Canada remains limited in its ability to prosecute match fixing because there are no specific provisions in the Criminal Code that prevent it. It’s estimated that Canadians are spending $10 billion dollars annually through illegal sports betting operations controlled by organized crime.
Thank you to the NSOs that have committed to the 2022-2023 pilot project: Badminton Canada, Canada Basketball, Canada Soccer, Curling Canada, Racquetball Canada, and Squash Canada.
New Education Initiative
The CCES and COC have launched Understanding Competition Manipulation – an e-learning module that is a key component of the pilot project. Education was identified as an important measure to raise awareness in Canada about competition manipulation by the Exploratory Working Group on Match Manipulation.
The 15-minute course will introduce learners to:
- How competition manipulation happens and what it looks like,
- The amount of money wagered on sports in Canada and around the world,
- The risks associated with competition manipulation and how to protect yourself from its known dangers, and
- How Canada and other countries are responding to this threat.
Understanding Competition Manipulation is available to all users who have an account in the CCES online learning portal and an untracked version can be accessed through our website.
Quotes
“Competition manipulation is a major threat to the integrity of sport on a global scale and without measures in place to manage sport betting and corruption, the threat will continue to grow. With single-sport betting now legal in Canada, we can reasonably expect an increase in attempts to influence the outcome of events, and this pilot project will help us determine how best to protect athletes and sport organizations in the long run. We’re grateful to the organizations who have committed time and resources to working with us on this project.” – Paul Melia, President and Chief Executive Officer, CCES
“The Canadian Olympic Committee is committed to supporting a sport system that is safe and barrier-free. Match manipulation directly affects athletes by undermining the integrity of the sports to which they have dedicated their lives and through which they have inspired so many. By addressing this issue, which is far too prevalent, we hope to create a safer, more inclusive environment in which athletes can compete and thrive.” – Eric Myles, Chief of Sport, COC
“Match manipulation is a very real issue for Canada Soccer and one we’ve been working very closely with our governing bodies at Concacaf and FIFA to play a role in combatting. It is critical for both the integrity and credibility of our competitions. Working in close collaboration with the CCES and other progressive-minded NSOs to deliver this project is another important step by Canada Soccer to not only protect the integrity of soccer but to play a critically important role in educating and building capacity within Canada to safeguard sport.” – Earl Cochrane, Deputy General Secretary, Canada Soccer
"This is an important step for our sport as we navigate some new and increasingly popular areas of sports entertainment. While there are great opportunities available, we must always be vigilant that the sanctity and integrity of our competitions remain pure and we have every confidence in our athletes that this will be the case." – Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer, Curling Canada
“Racquetball Canada is excited to work with the CCES and other NSOs on a competition manipulation strategy to ensure a high standard of safe sport and ethics are maintained. We also want to be leaders to help prevent match manipulation as our sport industry evolves.” – Kathy Brook, Executive Director, Racquetball Canada
About the CCES
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport works collaboratively to ensure Canadians have a positive sport experience. Through its programs, the CCES manages unethical issues in sport, protects the integrity of Canadian sport, and promotes True Sport to activate values-based sport on and off the field of play. The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization that is responsible for the administration of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. The CCES acknowledges funding, in part, from the Government of Canada. For more information, visit cces.ca, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
About the COC
The Canadian Olympic Committee aims to transform Canada through the power of sport. Independent and predominantly privately funded, the COC delivers the resources that Canada’s elite athletes need to perform at their best and give their everything every day. For more information, visit olympic.ca.