ABSTRACT
Match-fixing represents a greater potential long-term threat to the integrity of sport than doping. It has been linked to organised crime, illegal drugs and money-laundering. Law enforcement and sporting authorities globally are struggling to establish legal and regulatory responses to this emerging threat, particularly in light of cross-border and illegal internet gambling. Recent examples of match-fixing demonstrate that no country is immune. In 2013, Korea was rocked by a match-fixing scandal which led to the imprisonment of former Korean Basketball League head coach, Kang Dong Hee. In early 2016, a group of top tennis players in the Australian Open were allegedly targeted for match-fixing by gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy. In 2017, a Japanese tennis player was banned for life for fixing matches in comparatively unknown tournaments. This chapter places this volume in a regional and international context, and analyses the meaning of match-fixing. It argues that there is much room for improvement. There is no generally acceptable definition regarding match-fixing at an international level; even within some national jurisdictions, such as Australia, the definitions provided by local laws are inconsistent. Due to the transnational character of sports competitions and sports betting, even the best national frameworks will be ineffective unless they are adapted to international cooperation mechanisms. This book focuses on Australia, Japan and Korea to achieve a greater understanding of match-fixing and the current level of legal and other responses in these leading Asian sporting nations. Their key role in the international sporting sphere in Asia calls for an analysis of their approaches to match-fixing. A tripartite work also avoids the pitfalls of a bilateral examination which tends to highlight one or the other jurisdiction as an outlier. As the chapters in this volume show, there are many commonalities between the issues faced in these jurisdictions. There is also the need to develop an internationally, or at least regionally initially, harmonious and coordinated response to match-fixing. Developing a harmonised approach, however, is hampered by important legal, regulatory and cultural differences across Asia, including Australia, Japan and Korea. Overcoming institutional and cultural challenges is an important step in understanding and sharing knowledge. Cross-jurisdictional awareness is necessary if effective and coordinated initiatives by law enforcement and sporting authorities across the region are to emerge. This volume contributes to this understanding and awareness.
