Spanish law enforcement officials will examine claims of potential betting fraud and manipulation of athletic competitions, which were revealed by the nation’s gambling oversight body.
The Spanish gambling regulator, the General Directorate of Gambling (DGOJ), uncovered the potential match-fixing irregularities through its worldwide gambling market research service (SIGMA).
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs signed a pact with the General Police Headquarters, the division of the Ministry of the Interior responsible for the country’s National Police, to conduct a criminal inquiry into possible match-fixing.
Under the agreement, the National Police will be granted access to the SIGMA database and will be tasked with investigating the warnings issued by the system concerning sporting events and wagering.
Spain establishes an organization to combat match-fixing
SIGMA is an organization established by Spain in October 2022 following a comprehensive review of the country’s gambling laws, with the goal of enabling organizations registered on its network to cooperate in mitigating match-fixing and fraud by processing personal data.
At present, the network comprises numerous organizations within the Spanish professional sports industry, including the National Sports Council, sporting federations, professional leagues, and authorized gambling operators. The DGOJ oversees the organization.
To monitor the initiative’s advancement, the DGOJ and DGP will establish a “Monitoring Committee.” This group will be formed within a month and will convene meetings annually, although gatherings can be called at any time upon request from either government agency.
The agreement is effective for four years and ensures the privacy of data exchanged between entities.
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