Upcoming study to reveal that 35% of athletes believe matches at their level are fixed

Preliminary results from a forthcoming research report by the FIX the FIXING program will show the growing concerns athletes have about match-fixing in their sport, as well as the significant risk that match-fixing represents to athletes around the world.

Revealed by ‘FIX the FIXING’, an Erasmus+ project coordinated by the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece, the research study surveyed over 600 athletes in six European countries - including Greece, France, Austria, Ireland, the UK and Cyprus - about match-fixing and whether they have experienced it within their sport.

Athletes surveyed competed across 13 different sports including: football, rugby union, basketball, handball, volleyball, water polo, martial arts, badminton, tennis, athletics, swimming, gymnastics and weightlifting.

With the full report due to be released later in 2017, preliminary results from the survey showed:

• Nearly 34.7% of athletes believe that games in their level were fixed
• A remarkable 20% of the athletes were aware of a fixed game in their team during the past 12 months
• 12.6% of the athletes reported that they were aware that they had involved in a manipulated game.

In addition, early results also revealed that 15% of the athletes reported that they were approached within the last 12 month to fix a match, with the majority of athletes manipulating a game due to financial difficulties or ‘to make easy money’.

Results from the forthcoming report also highlighted the lack of trust shown by athletes towards the governing bodies, which would prevent athletes from reporting information about an incident of manipulation.

Vassilis Barkoukis, coordinator of ‘FIX the FIXING’ and AUTH Assistant Professor, commented "the findings show the extent of the phenomenon of manipulated games and highlight the need for immediate treatment through scientifically documented educational interventions.

“At FIX the FIXING, our stakeholders and research partners are using a scientific approach to developing innovative new educational tools to combat match-fixing. By developing a complete understanding of the problem by collecting data and conducting focus groups and surveys, we aim to develop tools that educate stakeholders across sport about the dangers of match-fixing, as well as range of prevention methods and techniques.”

As one of the partner institutions within the FIX the FIXING project, Ezechiel Abatan, Head of Research at ICSS INSIGHT, added "this data shows that match-fixing is still a major issue within European sport and demonstrates that more can still be done to educate and train athletes, as well as preventing and reporting issues to relevant authorities.”

FIX the FIXING is a research project designed to combat fixed games in all sports and at all levels. In the FIX the FIXING project, a team of scientists and stakeholders from six European countries with expertise in corruption in sports work together to develop an online educational material to prevent and combat match fixing.

The material will be able to be adapted and used by stakeholders including educators, trainers, policy makers both within and outside the EU. The training material will inform stakeholders and athletes about prevention strategies and interventions against match fixing.

The FIX the FIXING project is funded by the European Union and coordinated by AUTH's Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, with participation from the Queens University from Northern Ireland, the Limerick University from Ireland, the Austria’s Play Fair Code, the IRIS of France, the Cyprus Sports Organization, the Sport Integrity Hellas, the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).

For more information go to fixthefixing.eu

26th June 2017 - ICSS ESTABLISHES ANTI-CORRUPTION UNIT TO BACK SPORTS INDUSTRY INVESTIGATIONS 

15th June 2017 - QUEENSLAND TENNIS PLAYER CHARGED WITH MATCH-FIXING AT ATP CHALLENGER TOURNAMENT 

24th May 2017 - RISING TENNIS STAR ANDERSON SPARED JAIL IN MATCH-FIXING CASE 

11th December 2016 - TENNIS AUSTRALIA STRENGTHENS INTEGRITY MEASURES AHEAD OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN

7th September 2016 - POLICE TO INTERVIEW NRL PLAYERS IN MATCH-FIXING PROBE 

5th August 2016 - NSW POLICE INVESTIGATE FURTHER NRL MATCH-FIXING ALLEGATIONS

5th May 2016 - TENNIS AUSTRALIA APPOINTS ANN WEST AS INTEGRITY HEAD

28th January 2016 - TENNIS AUTHORITIES ANNOUNCE PROBE INTO MATCH-FIXING

25th January 2016 - MATCH FIXING SUSPICIONS RAISED AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN AFTER SITE STOPS BETS ON MATCH

18th January 2016 - BBC REPORT THAT TENNIS AUTHORITIES IGNORED EVIDENCE OF MATCH-FIXING BY KEY PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS 

7th May 2015 - AFC AND ICSS PARTNER TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ASIAN FOOTBALL 

16th January 2015 - AFC COLLABORATES TO PREVENT 2015 ASIAN CUP MATCH-FIXING

26th September 2014 - MATCH-FIXING CLAIM HITS MEN’S FOOTBALL AT ASIAN GAMES

18th May 2014 - ORGANISED CRIME ESTIMATED TO LAUNDER OVER US$140 BILLION ANNUALLY THROUGH SPORT BETTING

27th April 2014 - MALAYSIAN JAILED OVER VICTORIAN MATCH FIXING

5th March 2013 - AFC FORMS TASK FORCE AGAINST ASIAN MATCH-FIXING

10th February 2013 - GLOBAL MATCH FIXING INVESTIGATION FOCUSES ON ASIA

9th October 2009 - AUSTRALIA A TARGET FOR MATCH-FIXING 

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