The
Hague, the Netherlands — The IntegriSport
3.0 project, implemented from 2023 to 2024, concluded with a successful closing
conference that gathered representatives of 10 international entities, national and international stakeholders from 24 countries on 4 continents, including law enforcement and judiciary authorities of 15 countries, representatives of the European Union, Europol, Eurojust, Interpol,
the International Olympic Committee, Riot Games and other distinguished
organizations together with the project partners, to conclude the project and
have comprehensive discussions on the protection of sports and esports from
manipulation and crimes.
The
project aimed to enhance the awareness of law enforcement and judiciaries on investigation
and prosecution of crimes related to sports and esports manipulation through
targeted training and collaboration among law enforcement, judicial
authorities, and key sports stakeholders.
Achievements of the IntegriSport
Initiative
Since
its inception, the IntegriSport initiative has been instrumental in fighting
sports manipulation and crime in sport and esports, involving over 25 partner
organizations, and provided for more than 120 law enforcement and judicial
bodies from 16 countries in the last 6 years. Led by the developer of the
IntergiSport concept, CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity, the program has
provided essential training and fostered collaboration across borders to
strengthen the fight against sports and esports-related crimes.
The
EU-funded IntegriSport 3.0 continued this mission, with significant
contributions from the partners of the project, CSCF Foundation for Sport
Integrity (the coordinator and content provider), Austria's Play Fair Code, the
Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria, the Greek Ministry of Education,
Religious Affairs and Sports, the Estonian Center for Integrity in Sports
(ESTCIS), the Romanian National Agency for Sports, and the Spanish National Police.
Additionally, IntegriSport 3.0 has benefitted from the involvement of prominent
organizations like the National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia
(INEFC), United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS), and FIFPro, our
supporting organization, which have all contributed to strengthening sports
integrity frameworks across Europe.
Impact across partner countries
Throughout its three editions, CSCF and its partners have worked to protect sports integrity by educating and building cooperation between law enforcement, judicial authorities, ministries, sports and esports federations. Besides the IntegriSport 3.0 partner organizations, the project countries have seen participation from law enforcement, judiciaries, ministries, sports and esports federations, players' unions, and the national betting industry. Europol, Interpol, the Council of Europe, the International Olympic Committee, and the Maltese Police Force also provided their expertise. This ongoing effort has raised awareness and provided practical tools to combat manipulation in both traditional sports and esports. It also has empowered law enforcement and judiciaries in the partner countries and has encouraged them to engage with their own national stakeholders.
IntegriSport 3.0 Impact and
Results
-In
Austria, the project strengthened collaboration with the Criminal Intelligence
Service (BKA) and fostered deeper cooperation with prosecutors and judges,
raising awareness of sports manipulation among fraud and organized crime units
nationwide.
-In
Bulgaria, the project introduced sports integrity education to police students
for the first time, while fostering ongoing discussions about ratifying the
Macolin Convention and reorganizing the National Platform against sports
manipulation.
-In
Estonia, valuable insights gained from Spanish experts led to discussions about
creating a specialized police unit for sports corruption at the Estonian Police.
The project also connected the Estonian esports community with stakeholders,
leading to new collaborations and inclusion in international efforts.
-In
Greece, the project marked the first awareness-raising session involving a
diverse range of stakeholders, leading to greater inclusion of player
representation in the National Platform of Greece against sports manipulation.
Esports manipulation also became a key focus, with stakeholders supporting its
formal inclusion under the Macolin Convention.
-In
Romania, authorities committed to implementing the knowledge gained through
IntegriSport to combat sports-related corruption.
-In
Spain, there was a significant improvement in monitoring and detection systems,
with strengthened communication between regulatory bodies, betting operators,
and sports entities. This resulted in enhanced integrity across the sector and
public confidence in the fairness of sports competitions.
-At
the policy-making level, this year brought some significant successes amongst
our partner countries and partners: Romania has decided to sign the Council of
Europe Macolin Convention, whereas Spain has ratified this very important legal
instrument.
Closing Conference Highlights
The closing conference, held on the
11th of November, was marked by a series of engaging presentations and
discussions. The agenda featured the partner organizations of the project
sharing insights on the project’s implementation and its impact across the 6
partner countries and on the work of the 3 international partner organizations
by
CSCF
Foundation for Sport Integrity,
Play
Fair Code,
The
Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria,
The
Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports,
The
Estonian Center for Integrity in Sports (ESTCIS),
The
Romanian National Agency for Sports,
The
Spanish National Police,
The
National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), and
The
United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS).
The biggest players' representation of
the world and supporting partner of IntegriSport programs, FIFPRO highlighted
the importance of protecting athletes, showcasing a case study that exemplified
best practices in addressing manipulation and corruption.
After a very thorough introduction of
case studies on sport manipulation investigation by the Police authorities of
Greece and Spain, dynamic panel discussions were held. The panel discussions
were dedicated to giving knowledge, thoughts, and support for law enforcement
and judiciary to get more insight on the phenomenon of sports manipulation and
how they would be able to fight effectively against criminals infiltrating
sports and esports all over the world.
The first panel focused on the
intersection of sports and integrity, featuring industry experts from the
International Olympic Committee, FIFPRO, Play Fair Code, and ULIS, with Europol
and CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity as moderators. The discussion
highlighted the importance of ethical standards and accountability within
sports organizations and explored the important role of law enforcement and
judiciary bodies in protecting sports organizations and athletes, fostering a
fair and transparent sporting environment.
The second panel addressed the growing
field of esports, featuring insights from industry experts at Riot Games, Interpol,
and Postimees Grupp, with CSCF Foundation for Sport Integrity as moderator.
This session explored the unique challenges and opportunities for maintaining
integrity within this rapidly evolving sector. Experts discussed the need for
robust frameworks to protect players and ensure fair competition, emphasizing
the critical role of law enforcement and judicial bodies in this journey, as
well as the importance of educating these stakeholders to deepen their
understanding of issues in esports.
Throughout
the conference, participants engaged in fruitful conversations, exchanging
ideas and strategies for future collaboration. The session proved to be
fostering connections among stakeholders committed to promoting integrity in
sports.
During the event, the 8 partners of
IntegriSport 3.0 announced their common statements on protecting sport and
esports and supporting law enforcement and judiciaries.
For media inquiries, please contact: Integrisport3.admin@cscfsport.com
Disclaimer: The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
