Australian news agency The Informer invited the former Racing Integrity Commissioner for the state of Victoria to discuss his experience of corruption within sport and how match-fixing can be prevented.

Who is it?

George Donikian, Host of The Informer

Sal Perna, former Racing Integrity Commissioner for Victoria

What is being said?

Touching on Australia’s sports betting sector, Perna explained: “The whole wagering industry is fascinating. About $2 billion to $3 billion are bet on greyhound racing in Victoria a year. That’s the size and scope and wagering, and then we’ve got this multi-trillion dollar illegal gambling market. It’s the black market and the overseas markets that can’t be regulated.

“Most organisations who are focussed on integrity, so they have an integrity unit of some sort, put a lot of their efforts in the first stages into education and awareness. For example, they bring the players in and they have programmes to teach them about how big wagering is and the pitfalls of wagering.

“Most sports will break it down into segments so the first part they’ll say is, ‘let’s see how this affects you’, and they’ll bring in former players who have had gambling habits and that’s ruined their careers and put them in debt.”

Perna explained how those responsible for match-fixing build up a rapport with athletes, which should be reported to the relevant authorities: “The other thing, and probably more importantly, is creating that awareness. Cricket, as you probably know, has a very systemic approach to corruption. So, the corruptor wouldn’t just go up to a player and say, ‘I want you to do this’. They would form a relationship and say, ‘I’ve been watching you at this level and you’re really good’, and they might send them a card or a text or buy them a gift to show their appreciation.

“One day, when they feel they’ve got the relationship going they say, ‘hey, it would be really handy if we knew that you were going to bowl a few loose balls because we want to see the batsman score X-amount of runs in the first few overs’.

Why should I watch it?

To gain insight into Australia’s sports betting industry and how gambling plays a part in corruption within the country’s national sports.

Where can I see more?
Source: The Informer YouTube Channel