GLMS President joins MEPs and key stakeholders in sending out a strong message for the entry into force of the Macolin Convention
GLMS President joins MEPs and key stakeholders in sending out a strong message for the entry into force of the Macolin Convention
Brussels, 5 June 2018, kl
The Convention was adopted in 2014 with the aim to establish an international system of measures against match-fixing. In order to adopt it at the EU level, unanimity in the Council is needed. Although it has the support of nearly all EU Member States, the objection of one single state causes a deadlock. GLMS President seconded today MEP Bogdan Wenda and joined his voice with EU Commissioner in charge of sport, Tibor Navracsics, CoE Deputy General Secretary, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, as well as key stakeholders, including the International Olympic Committee, UEFA, and INTERPOL, calling for the timely overcoming of the current deadlock.
GLMS President highlighted that the Convention is the first international legally binding text to exist in the fight against manipulations of sports competitions, covering all matters that are relevant to the topic. He pointed out indeed that the Convention is not exclusively betting-related, but covers all types of manipulations that impact sports competitions, ranging from on the field of action to beyond the sporting venue, from the athletes and support staff to non-sport related criminals.
Underlining that all provisions of the Convention are well-grounded and fully in line with the EU law, Ludovico Calvi recalled that measures against illegal sports betting are necessary for the efficient implementation of all provisions of the Convention. He finally added that the Convention will be soon entering into force anyway, given that soon there will be more states outside Europe that will be ratifying. The entry into force will trigger the Follow-Up Committee which has concrete responsibilities for making recommendations concerning measures to be taken and EU Member-States might find themselves outside of this Committee.
Following the end of the event, GLMS President, Ludovico Calvi stated: “I would like to warmly thank MEP Bogdan Wenta for this important initiative, which brought together several prominent stakeholders to discuss such a relevant topic. GLMS, being at the forefront of the fight against competition manipulations, bringing together Members from all over the world, urges for the timely entry into force of the Convention. GLMS and its Members have fully supported the Convention and are already actively supporting states with the implementation of its provisions through their active participation in the Keep crime out of Sport (KCOOS+) Project of the Council of Europe".
GLMS President, Ludovico Calvi, outside the European Parliament
Ludovico Calvi during his intervention at the European Parliament
ENDS
Contacts:
GLMS
- Giancarlo Sergi, GLMS General Secretary: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Evangelos Alexandrakis, GLMS Deputy General Secretary, evangelos.alexandrakis@glms-
sport.org
About GLMS
GLMS is the state lotteries’ mutualized monitoring system on sports betting. It aims at detecting and analyzing suspicious betting activities that could question the integrity of a sport competition. Building on six years of experience with the establishment in 2009 of ELMS with European Lotteries, GLMS went global in January 2015 extending the network to other continents. GLMS facilitates the sharing of sports betting information as part of the collective efforts of its members in ensuring sports integrity globally, and is dedicated to effective cooperation with all key stakeholders: regulators, law enforcement authorities, sports organizations.
GLMS currently has 29 individual Members from 4 continents (Österreichische Lotterien - Austria, Loterie Nationale – Belgium, Hrvatska Lutrija – Croatia, Danske Spil – Denmark, Veikkaus – Finland, La Française Des Jeux – France, Staatliche Loterieverwaltung in Bayern – Germany, Opap SA – Greece, Szerencsejatek – Hungary, Islenk Getspa – Iceland, Israel Sports Betting Board - Israel, Lottomatica – Italy, Sisal – Italy, Norsk Tipping – Norway, Santa Casa De Misericordia da Lisboa – Portugal, Sportna Loterija – Slovenia, Svenska Spel – Sweden, Loterie Romande – Switzerland, Swisslos – Switzerland, Nederlandse Loterij, the Netherlands, Hong Kong Jockey Club – Hong Kong, Singapore Pools – Singapore, Ktoto Co – South Korea, China Sports Lottery – China, Loto-Québec- Canada, Polla Chilena de Beneficencia – Chile, Banca de Quinielas de Montevideo – Uruguay, La Marocaine des Jeux et des Sports, Morocco, Loterie Nationale du Sénégal – Senegal) and 2 collective Members (European Lotteries Association and World Lottery Association)
Visit the GLMS website here
About the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sport Competitions (Macolin Convention)
The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (or Macolin Convention) is a multilateral treaty that aims to prevent, detect, and punish match fixing in sport. The convention was concluded in Macolin/Magglingen, Switzerland, on 18 September 2014. At its conclusion, it was immediately signed by 15 states of the Council of Europe; it is open to ratification of Council of Europe states and any other state in the world. The treaty will enter into force after being ratified by five states, three of which must be Council of Europe Member-states. Prior to the opening for signatures, there was a 2-year consultation on the drafting of its provisions.
The purpose of this Convention is to prevent, detect, punish and discipline the manipulation of sports competitions, as well as enhance the exchange of information and national and international cooperation between the public authorities concerned, and with sports organisations and sports betting operators.
The text of the Convention can be viewed here.