Can betting syndicates be prosecuted for match fixing under UK law?

Yes, the Fraud Act 2006 adds the offence of fraud to the list of criminal offences contained within the Gambling Act 2005. This provision will often be used to prosecute individuals involved in match fixing who are outside the scope of prosecution by the sporting governing bodies. This would include corrupt groups which run betting syndicates relying on the fixing of matches to make money. UK anti-corruption law is designed specifically with these individuals in mind.

Various criminal offences can arise from match fixing. Firstly, match fixing is clearly deception for financial gain, which is classified as fraud. Another legal implication that can arise is criminal conspiracy. As sport is an activity carried out worldwide, other jurisdictions have different criminal sanctions available. For example, in India there is a specific criminal offence for ‘cheating’ under the Indian Penal Code 1860.