The Danish government is to establish a new body dedicated to combating match-fixing and will also amend its criminal code to ensure that all forms of match-fixing are a criminal offence. “Our working group found that most forms of match-fixing are covered by the existing criminal code”, said Bente Skovgaard Kristensen, Head of the Danish Culture Ministry. “However, a loophole exists whereby bribery takes place, but not for financial gain. The criminal code deals with fraud for financial benefit, but not bribery using other means. That is why we are putting this forward.”

The new anti match-fixing body has been formed in partnership with the Danish sporting confederation (DIF), gambling operators and the police. It is designed to coordinate efforts against match-fixing and investigate collusion. It will also require standard employment contracts in sport to contain information about the sanctions for match-fixing. The DIF and national sporting federations have also agreed to explore the possibility of selecting referees as late as possible, in order to mitigate the threat from match-fixing.

Gambling operators will also have to ensure that their employees are adequately educated about possible approaches by match-fixers – the Danish Gambling Authority will administer this requirement. In another interesting development, the Danish tax authority is investigating the possibility of issuing gambling ID cards, which will be required to take part in land-based gambling.

The proposals were contained within a 100-page report, Working Group on the Regulation of Match-Fixing, which will shortly be published in English. They will be presented to the Danish Parliament in January.

“In May 2013, the DIF adopted a match-fixing regulation covering all of the 61 national sports associations”, said DIF Chairman Niels Nygaard in a statement. “To our knowledge, we were the first sporting organisation in the world to do this…it is very satisfying that Denmark has been one of the first countries to sign the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, and it is therefore equally satisfying that the Ministry of Culture will put exert greater pressure to combat match-fixing”.

Nygaard said that the DIF agreed with “the vast majority” of the report’s recommendations. However, he pointed out that the DIF was still keen to see certain forms of betting outlawed, such as betting on the first corner in a football match. “This is a point that we look forward to discussing further in the new coordination group”, he said.