The UK’s House of Lords heard testimony on Thursday about how international match-fixing is growing amid increased betting opportunities and the rise of organized crime groups.
The UK is now considering ratifying the Macolin Convention into national law. Before doing so, the House of Lords’ International Agreements Committee hosted an evidence session on its merits on Thursday.
The Macolin Convention is a legal instrument and rule of international law on the manipulation of sports competitions. The convention has already been signed by 43 European countries, including the UK, as well as Australia, Morocco, and Brazil.
Match-Fixing Problem is Getting Worse
Moses Swaibu, CEO and Founder of GameChanger360, testified that the problem of corruption in sports is getting worse. After being convicted of match-fixing, Swaibu now works to protect sporting integrity.
He has spoken candidly about fixing matches while playing soccer in England and published a book last year titled Fixed: My Secret Life as a Match Fixer. He was eventually arrested in 2013 and sentenced to 16 months in prison. Since his release, he has worked with the English Football Association (FA), Premier League, and FIFA to help them understand the phenomenon.
Swaibu said the rise of prediction markets and the possibility of betting on anything at the click of a button have increased sports corruption.
“From the perspective of criminals, you now have one of the biggest open markets across Asia, pinpointing poly-markets where you can literally bet on anything,” he stated in his testimony.
Earlier this year, Sportradar said suspicions of match-fixing are falling, but the committee disagreed. One member noted a 92% increase in recorded cases of suspicious soccer matches in Africa.
“When you have territories such as Africa, those vulnerabilities can now be exploited to penetrate markets at the click of a button,” Swaibu added. “While there has been a massive increase due to everyone having smartphones, the new match-fixers are operating in plain sight within society. Law enforcement has not been able to grasp the cusp of what this advancement looks like.”
Organized Crime Infiltrating Sports
His views were echoed by Madolina Diaconu, an Associate Professor at the University of Neuchâtel and a Swiss attorney-at-law specializing in Sports and Gambling Law.
“Through various studies, we have been able to measure and confirm that over the last 20 to 25 years, there has been a distinct increase in the phenomenon of match-fixing, or ‘competition manipulation’, as the convention calls it,” she told the committee.
“Over the last 15 to 16 years, we have seen a tremendous increase in the infiltration of organized crime into match-fixing,” she added. “We are no longer just talking about the ‘small fixes’ that have always existed in sports—where one team talks to another, or one player talks to another, agreeing to fix a match result or micro-events during the game. While that is also serious and constitutes a crime, it is overall less dangerous compared to the infiltration of international organized crime syndicates we see today.”
Swaibu said he was approached by three different criminal syndicates during his career, and these organizations remain active. Asian-based groups are particularly active. In China, 9 of the 16 Super League teams started the season with negative points due to sanctions for bribery and match-fixing.
Diaconu added that “match-fixing offers a golden opportunity for these syndicates. They can easily access the market, profit from high and immediate gains, and simultaneously launder illegal proceeds from other horrific crimes, such as drug trafficking and human trafficking.”
Macolin Convention Helps Nations Fight Match Fixing Together
Both Swaibu and Diaconu advised the Committee that participation in the Macolin Convention is essential for countries to share real-time data to help detect and prevent corruption in sports.
“This issue can only be effectively tackled through international cooperation,” said Diaconu. “Criminals do not stay in one country; they travel and profit from our open world. Therefore, the law enforcement response must also be international.”
Swaibu agreed, saying that the UK should lead by example in ratifying the treaty into its national law.
“We need to use this international treaty to set a firm preventative precedent rather than a reactive one,” he stated. “The UK is the home of football and sport; flying this flag at the highest level will help the rest of the world move forward.”
“Match-fixing syndicates are targeting younger players, while our legal solutions remain old and outdated,” Swaibu added. “Ratifying the treaty gives us the framework to protect the next generation.”
He emphasized that, in addition to a top-down approach, there must also be an emphasis on education and on raising awareness of the importance of protecting sporting integrity in schools.
“Integrity shouldn’t just be taught verbally,” he said. “It involves body language, recognizing warning signs, and developing soft skills.”
Diaconu said the Macolin convention’s “practical, grounded focus remains the exact mechanism required to operationally dismantle international match-fixing syndicates.” And said it should look at expanding globally to include more non-European countries.
Gambling Companies Also Sharing Key Data
In addition to countries ratifying the treaty, gambling companies are helping tackle match-fixing by sharing data from global markets, said Diaconu.
“We now have hundreds of sports betting agencies, regulators, and operators around the table who have signed memoranda of understanding,” she said. “They have agreed to share data, suspicions, and system alerts in real-time across international borders, whether in Taiwan or Argentina.”
“While it remains difficult to convince illegal operators to join, the regulated industry is actively participating. This live exchange of information is vital. Without an instrument like the Macolin Convention, if hundreds of unusual micro-bets are placed in Brazil on a minor event like a yellow card in a UK match, it is virtually impossible for UK authorities to track it down, and the criminals ultimately walk free.”
She is perhaps referring to a recent scandal in which Brazilian player Lucas Paqueta was accused of deliberately accumulating yellow cards in Premier League matches. Investigations revealed his family members back in Brazil had placed wagers on him receiving bookings. Paqueta was eventually acquitted of the charges.
The committee will reflect on its findings and may have further discussions in the House of Lords before deciding whether to ratify the treaty.
