International Olympic Committee launches new sports betting integrity rules

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced a new code to combat the influence of match-fixers, with the potential for lifetime bans for transgressors.

The Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (read it here) is the IOC’s attempt to harmonize regulations among its members, although members are free to impose more stringent regulations if their nation’s supply of thumbscrews is going underutilized.

The code, which will be in effect at the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil, prohibits participants from betting on (a) events in which they are directly involved, (b) the sport in which a participant competes, and (c) any event in a multisport competition in which the participant is involved.

Participants are also prohibited from passing on inside information and from accepting any benefit from people seeking such info. Failure to provide the IOC with info regarding fixing overtures or to cooperate with the IOC in its investigations will also land participants in hot water.