Tokyo 2020: IOC to monitor sports betting on all Olympic competitions
Jul 17, 2021
Tokyo [Japan], July 17 : Protecting the integrity of sport at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, is a top priority for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) thus the IOC Executive Board (EB) was updated on Saturday about the measures put in place for Games time -- aimed at both preventing and dealing swiftly with competition manipulation.
Sports betting on all Olympic competitions have been monitored since the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, and Tokyo 2020 will be no exception. The Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC), with its partners -- namely Sportradar, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), the Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS), major regulating authorities, and a large number of private sports betting companies from around the world -- will monitor sports betting on all Olympic competitions at this summer's Olympic Games.
The IOC will retain a direct link with all International Federations (IFs) in order to flag any breach of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Code PMC). It is equipped to carry out a preliminary investigation and assist with the set-up of a Disciplinary Commission if necessary. In addition, the IOC will cooperate closely with various law enforcement authorities to address any cases where collective and joint follow-up is appropriate and necessary.
Paquerette Girard Zappelli, IOC Chief Ethics, and Compliance Officer said in a release: "During the last years, we have been working with Tokyo 2020, international police forces, and national authorities to set up the necessary processes and coordinate actions for Games time. As a sports organisation, the IOC can deal with disciplinary matters related to the Olympic Games, and we will have in place a dedicated Disciplinary Commission for cases of competition manipulation and other integrity breaches. For all criminal and security matters, we will of course rely on the Japanese authorities and their jurisdiction."
Following PyeongChang 2018, this is the second Games edition where all the measures outlined will be overseen by the dedicated OM Unit PMC, set up by the IOC in 2017 and an integral part of the IOC Ethics and Compliance Office. This Unit oversees the implementation of the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, which forms part of the Olympic Charter. It aims to provide sports organisations with harmonised regulations to protect all competitions from the risk of manipulation and support them to develop effective activities against the threat.
