The Gambling Commission has been accused of not having the “resources, expertise and appetite” to take forward criminal investigations into sports betting corruption cases.
The Sports and Recreation Alliance (SRA) and Sports Betting Group (SBG) – of which the BHA is a member along with other bodies including the Football Association, England and Wales Cricket Board and Rugby Football Union – made the comments in a submission to the inquiry into gambling regulation being carried out by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee.
In its own submission to the inquiry, the BHA said it was important the government’s gambling review should enable the commission to be “appropriately equipped and resourced to deal with threats to sports integrity” and to prevent further growth in the gambling black market.
The SRA/SBG submission stated that while sports governing bodies can ban participants, they cannot investigate or sanction those outside the sport and that it was essential the Gambling Commission had the “necessary strategic focus, powers, resources, determination and expertise to effectively investigate and prosecute cases of sports betting corruption”.
The submission said the industry regulator was empowered to investigate and prosecute offences under the 2005 Gambling Act but added: “We have seen no evidence of these powers being used to investigate sports betting corruption cases. In our view, this is due to a lack of resources, expertise and appetite to take forward criminal investigations.”
The submission said the Gambling Commission did not generally pursue criminal investigations and where it uncovered evidence of serious criminality would seek to engage other law enforcement bodies.
It added: “This approach is particularly problematic given the limited expertise and resources available to other law enforcement agencies to investigate sports corruption cases and the wider difficulties sports bodies face in tackling external corrupters over whom they have no jurisdiction.”
The SRA/SBG submission called for the Gambling Commission to be given powers to investigate and prosecute suspected cases of sports betting corruption on a par with those given to law enforcement agencies, with the creation of an enhanced Sports Betting Integrity Unit within the regulator funded by an increase in the fees levied on gambling operators.
The Gambling Commission already has a Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU), which a spokesperson for the regulator said on Thursday “works hard to tackle betting-related corruption”.
Asked for a response to the comments made about the commission’s work in the area, the spokesperson added: “The SBIU determines the most effective course of action on a case-by-case basis. This can lead to further investigations being carried out by the commission or the police, information being passed to sports bodies to consider breaches of their rules and codes and engagement with international bodies.”
In its submission, the BHA supported the SRA/SBG recommendations to give the commission more powers and resources to investigate corruption. It added: “A core function of all sports governing bodies, including the BHA, is to maintain the integrity of their sport.
“In cases of corruption where our licensed personnel are involved, we can take regulatory action in order to ensure that the individual(s) are suspended or disqualified from racing. However, when it comes to taking action against members of the public who are involved in the orchestration of the corruption, we require the Gambling Commission to use its powers to charge those involved.”
Concerns have been expressed about the use of drones to broadcast live picturesCredit: Edward Whitaker
The BHA submission also underlined the challenge of “the growth of black market betting both in the UK, and globally”. The governing body highlighted the use of drones to broadcast live pictures from racecourses for the use of in-running betting and the concerns not only about human and equine safety but also “the ability for such pictures to be shared widely and assist with the proliferation of black market operators”.
The BHA added: “All of this is why it is extremely important for the UK government to, where possible, future proof regulations around gambling legislation to allow it to keep up with technological advances in an ever-increasing digital age, and help tackle the risks of the black market.
“It will also be important for the gambling review to enable the Gambling Commission to be appropriately equipped and resourced to deal with threats to sports integrity and to prevent further growth in the black market.”
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