TOGETHER AGAINST MATCH-FIXING
#dontfixthegame
BACKGROUND
Football should be fair, attractive, honest and exciting but football can only be exciting if nobody knows in advance what will happen in the 90 or more minutes of a match. Only if this condition is fulfilled football can continue to thrill millions of people week after week in the stadiums, on sports grounds and on the screens.
The influenceability of the game and the unpredictability of its course and outcome are therefore the core of sporting competition, which must be protected at all costs. Match-fixing jeopardizes the integrity of competition and undermines the credibility of the sport, the players and the referees. They destroy fair sporting competition.
Back in 2012, DFL und DFB bundled their prevention measures and placed them on four different pillars with the launch of the project ‘Together Against Gambling Manipulation - don't fix the game!’. The objective of this project is to inform all those active in the domain of football early on about the dangers emanating from match-fixing and gambling addiction, then to take preventative measures. Help and information on dealing with gambling addiction can be found in the ‘contacts section’ and on the pages of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA).
While the communication of information and education were focused on youth players at the start, since the 2018-19 season the obligation to attend prevention workshops has been extended to the licensed, i.e. professional teams of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2. Since the 2020-21 season the teams of the 3. Liga, the Google Pixel women's league and 2nd women's league and the players of the Virtual Bundesliga Club Championship by WOW are obliged to attend prevention workshops.
For information regarding the preventive measures in connection with the eFootball competitions of DFL and DFB please click here.
Match-Fixing
Fundamentally, two types of match-fixing exist: sports-related and betting-related manipulation.
Sports-related Match-Fixing
Sports-related manipulation is about influencing the progression and outcome of a professional sports match in such a way as to adversely influence fair competition in favour of the opponents and could be in order to either gain an advantage for players or for a third party. Exceptions to this are actions which are exclusively aimed at securing a sport-related advantage (e.g. intentional foul play). Actions such as these could still be sanctioned in accordance with the Legal and Procedural Regulations of the DFB. The reasons for an instance of pure sports-related manipulation could be of a sporting nature (e.g. to secure a promotion, avoid relegation, qualify to take part in an international competition, in order to have an easier opponent for the next match as a result of a match lost intentionally) or they could be of a financial nature. However, there is no connection between sports-related manipulation and the placing of bets. A sports-related manipulation is not only sanctionable in accordance with the regulations of the DFB, it could constitute a criminal offence in accordance with § 265d of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch). Further information about the relevant legal basis can be found here.
Betting-related Match-Fixing
Sports-related manipulation does not present the biggest danger. The danger which is by far the most significant does not originate within the world of football but rather from networks of organised criminals from outside the world of football. These people try to get players, referees, coaches or club officials to manipulate matches with the intention of making large profits on the world betting market. These criminals target all those who either directly or indirectly could influence the match and put these people under considerable pressure. One such influence on the progression and result of a match with the intention of winning and cashing-in on the proceeds of the associated bets is termed betting-related match-fixing and is punishable in accordance with § 265c of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch).
Basically, any type of sport and any league can be affected. Considering that by far the most sporting bets are placed on football matches, this is where special care is required. That is why the prevention of the manipulation of matches is taken most seriously by the DFB and DFL who act together in the interests of German football.
Sports Betting
Sports betting companies make use of the world-wide popularity of football as the basis of their businesses. The market for sports betting has grown continuously during recent years and has already reached a value worth billions. Betting on football is particularly popular. The current world-wide turnover of bets on German football is around €40 billion.
It is important to know that according to § 1 no. 2 and 3 of the Legal and Procedural Rules of the DFB; players, coaches, officials and referees are prohibited from betting on games of their own team or on games of competitions in which the own team participates. This also applies to bets on games or competitions in which other teams of the same club participate (for example youth teams, second teams). In addition, third parties (such as family, friends or acquaintances) must not be asked to place such bets themselves. Furthermore, according to the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz) and the State Treaty on Gambling (Glücksspielstaatsvertrag), (sports) betting (and all other types of gambling) is prohibited for anyone under the age of 18.
Gambling Addiction
You could well ask what the connection between gambling addiction and the manipulation of matches is. People who take part in gambling do not immediately become addicted. However, it can happen that after a first win, an individual could think that they have luck on their side, particularly if they have special knowledge and capabilities, such as a footballer betting on football matches for example. This phenomenon is known as the so-called ‘control illusion’. Scientific studies proved that having special knowledge and capabilities as a (professional) player do not influence the success in betting on football matches. The betting on football matches and on sport in general is gambling and will remain so. Having lost money once, there is a danger of placing higher bets and gambling more often, possibly with money which has been borrowed. The use of apps from various betting operators and placing live bets intensify this effect since a bet can be placed very easily at any time and in any place. In this way, debts and dependencies can occur.
The few persons who misuse football and football betting to their advantage by manipulating a sporting event know only too well what they are doing. Betting dishonestly always requires the use of someone within the world of football who can be exploited in order to achieve a desired result. In return, money may be offered or gambling debts written-off. The opportunity may seem enticing but anyone succumbing to this temptation becomes the object of the game themselves and ultimately loses. It develops into a vicious circle which can only be broken with help from outside.
