Match-fixing Bill passes first reading

Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully today welcomed the first reading of the Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill.

The Bill is designed to protect the integrity of New Zealand Sport by making match-fixing a form of deception under section 240 of the Crimes Act – the offence of obtaining a benefit or causing a loss by deception.

“Match-fixing is a growing problem internationally and has been described as the number one threat to the integrity, value and growth of sport,” Mr McCully says.

“As we have seen from recent events, New Zealand is not immune to this threat. That’s why the Government is taking action on this matter,

“The Bill forms part of a package of measures that the Government is progressing to address match-fixing, and follows the release in May this year of the New Zealand Policy on Sports Match-Fixing and Related Corruption.

“Both the Bill and the policy allow for collaboration across Government, the sport sector and the betting industry to ensure sufficient processes and procedures are in place to protect sport from match-fixing,” Mr McCully says.

The Bill will allow for criminal sanctions to address possible match-fixing risks ahead of New Zealand’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup and FIFA Under-20 (football) World Cup from early next year. Under the Bill, anyone who obtains a benefit or causes a loss by engaging in match-fixing will be liable to a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.