The culture minister, Marianne Jelved, yesterday revealed a number of initiatives designed to limit match-fixing in Denmark.
Among the ministry’s initiatives is the establishment of a new group that will – with the participation of the sports industry, betting companies and the police – co-ordinate efforts against match-fixing and analyse matches they suspect might have been fixed.
“Match-fixing is the greatest challenge that faces sport today,” Jelved said in a press release. “If the results of the games are predetermined, it undermines the founding values of sport.”
“Meanwhile, it can have massive and negative financial consequences for the clubs, and also for the individuals not involved who are undeservedly associated with match-fixing.”
READ MORE: Danish football rocked by match-fixing scandal
Criminalising bribery
Another aspect of the match-fixing initiative is the criminalisation of bribery in sport. Match-fixing currently falls under the area of fraud, for which there need to be financial repercussions, but this will be changed to make other motives for match-fixing punishable by law.
The ministry will also launch a campaign against match-fixing in co-operation will sports organisations and betting companies in order to create a culture in which people aren’t tempted to cheat and can speak up about their suspicions of match-fixing.
In August, it emerged that six people had been charged with their involvement in match-fixing two second-tier football matches four years ago in Denmark involving Hvidovre IF football club.
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