NZ Government Rules Match-Fixing A Crime

New Delhi: New Zealand's government has announced that match-fixers in sport will face criminal charges, with a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment for convicted offenders. The New Zealand Policy on Sports Match-Fixing and Related Corruption was released on Monday, and Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully said the Crimes Act would be amended to cover serious match or spot-fixing.

"Seeking to gain unfair advantage to illegally profit from sports betting, these activities compromise athletes and tarnish sport," said McCully. "It would be naive to think that we are immune from these international risks. Therefore, it is important to take pre-emptive steps to safeguard our athletes and international sporting reputation.

"Today we have released the New Zealand Policy on Sports Match-Fixing and Related Corruption, and announced plans to amend the Crimes Act 1961 to ensure the most serious form of match-fixing is a criminal offence."

The government's decision came ahead of next year's cricket World Cup and the FIFA Under-20 tournament, both of which are being held in New Zealand. In New Zealand, certain elements of match and spot-fixing are covered by existing laws guarding against crimes such as fraud but the country had no specific criminal laws that encapsulated match-fixing.

In March, New Zealand Rugby established an integrity unit to cover issues including match-fixing, legal and illegal drugs and alcohol.