By Kate Holton
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s major sports signed a code of conduct on Wednesday to close the net on betting cheats.
European football has been damaged in the last two years by match-fixing scandals in Germany and Belgium and a police investigation is underway in Britain into allegations of race-fixing in horse racing.
"Sports betting has changed dramatically in recent years," Sports Minister Richard Caborn said in a statement. "Advances in technology and increasing popularity mean there are now more ways to place a bet than ever before.
"But we can’t let a few unscrupulous cheats drag the good name of sport through the mud.
"That’s why I’m pleased that from football to snooker, sport now recognises the importance of working with betting operators and the authorities to crack down on betting cheats."
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The 10 governing bodies who signed up to the code covered such sports as darts, cricket, football, horse racing, motor sports, greyhound racing, snooker, and rugby union and league.
Under the code, the bodies must include provisions in their rules and regulations governing the behaviour of their members in relation to betting. Their members will be expected to avoid any conflict of interest.
The bodies will be expected to work closely with the police, National Criminal Intelligence Service and the Gambling Commission if corrupt practices are discovered.
Betting on sport has always been popular in Britain, with figures from the National Audit Office in 2005 estimating annual turnover at 53 billion pounds.
However, the nature of betting has changed in the past decade with a move to the internet and phone accounts allowing people to place a bet at any time from any place, not just with bookmakers but also directly with fellow punters.
In Germany, referee Robert Hoyzer was found guilty late last year of fixing matches in a two million euro (1.4 million pound) betting fraud. The case caused embarrassment to Germany, hosts of the 2006 World Cup which begins on June 9.
FIFA, world football’s governing body, responded to the scandals by setting up FIFA Early Warning System GmbH which aims to spot what could be attempts to manipulate games.
Online bookmakers Betfair have also signed an agreement with UEFA to provide immediate information to the European governing body whenever unusual betting patterns are detected.
"There are matches every day, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Corruption is therefore inevitable," FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi has said.
