How UEFA and the DSWV safeguarded Euro 24 from match-fixing

Garance Limouzy July 31, 2024

The Deutscher Sportwettenverband (DSWV), the German association of sports betting operators, that Euro 24 was free of match-fixing. UEFA had taken extensive measures to prevent any manipulation during the popular football tournament. Alongside other stakeholders, UEFA and the DSWV formed an Anti-Match Fixing Group to monitor the field and betting market, educate, and proactively prevent issues.

No match-fixing detected

UEFA released a statement at the end of Euro 24, confirming that the Anti-Match Fixing Group found no evidence of match-fixing during the tournament. “This is extremely important for the German Sports Betting Association and its members. In addition to the damage caused to sport and spectators’ trust in sporting competition, betting providers and bettors are also among the injured parties who want to bet under fair conditions,” reacted the DSWV today.

Cooperation and collaboration

The group included representatives from UEFA, the Council of Europe, the Group of Copenhagen, Europol, Interpol, and seven national platforms (Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom).
With Euro 24 hosted in Germany, there was especially close cooperation with the country’s National Platform. Members of this platform included the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, the German Federal Police (BKA), the German betting regulator (Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder), the German Sports Betting Association (Deutscher Sportwettenverband), and the integrity officer of the German Football Association (DFB).
Together, these groups promoted integrity through dedicated education and training programmes, raised awareness of potential threats, and identified, investigated, and punished match-fixing offences.

The DSWV’s efforts

The DSWV has long been at the forefront of the fight against match-fixing. It successfully advocated for an amendment to the German Criminal Code, making betting fraud and manipulation of professional sports competitions punishable offences since 2017.
“Nowadays, conspicuous betting patterns can be detected at an early stage thanks to modern technologies,” explains the DSWV. “However, regulation of the sports betting market also makes a significant contribution to preventing match-fixing and betting fraud. In a well-regulated market, betting fraudsters have significantly less chance of success than on the unregulated black market. This is another important reason for creating an attractive legal market.”