Australia to tackle match-fixing

Australian sporting officials said Friday they had agreed to take a united stance against match-fixing to protect the integrity of the nation's sport.

Sports minister Mark Arbib said his regional-level colleagues had agreed that action was needed to deter and punish illegal practices.

"Australia is taking the lead on stamping-out match fixing and illegal betting, much as we have on the international stage with issues like drugs in sport," Arbib said in a statement.

"Australian sports ministers agree that corruption in sport is an emerging and critical issue facing Australian and international sport and we must work together to tackle the issue."

Under a national framework to address match-fixing in sport, Arbib said the ministers would support a nationally-consistent approach to legislation relating to the criminality of match-fixing.

He said they would also cooperate in information sharing and the development of better networks between governments, major sports, betting operators and law enforcers and develop a national code of conduct for sport. AFP