APADELA urges Peru to investigate reported football match-fixing approaches

The Peruvian Association of Online Sports Betting and Related Activities (APADELA) has called on the Peruvian Football Federation and the competent authorities to investigate reports that players at two clubs received communications aimed at influencing match outcomes, according to a statement from the association. APADELA said it was concerned after Universidad Técnica de Cajamarca (UTC) and Club Deportivo Moquegua announced that their players had received messages and other communications that could compromise the integrity of sporting competitions. The association asked for the incidents to be investigated thoroughly and for those responsible to be held accountable.

UTC said it had been alerted to communications sent directly to its footballers, which the club believes were intended to compromise the integrity of sporting competition. In a public statement, the club said it opposed such practices, described them as dishonest and said they violated the spirit of sport. UTC said it had put internal controls in place to protect its team and restated its commitment to playing transparently and responsibly.

Club Deportivo Moquegua reported that its footballers had been receiving calls and messages that pressed them to act against their principles and values. The southern Peruvian club used its official channels to issue a statement, in which it voiced concern and set out how the matter would be passed to the competent authorities for investigation and identification of those responsible for the incidents. However, the club held back from disclosing who might be responsible for the communications or what they contained. Moquegua went on to restate its dedication to sports integrity, fair play and respect for competition, and it warned that it would respond firmly to anything damaging the reputation of the college, including through legal action.

APADELA also said it regretted that the previous Peruvian government vetoed in July 2025 a measure approved by Congress that proposed criminalising the manipulation of sports competitions. The association said the bill was an opportunity to improve the state's capacity to deal with practices that erode public trust in sports, and it stressed the need for an efficient legal system in Peru to prevent, investigate and sanction match-fixing.

Gonzalo Pérez, chief executive of Apuesta Total, said that asking pupils and sports clubs to act was not enough and that institutional efforts were needed to support them. He said sports integrity could not depend only on the goodwill of those involved and called for strong institutions and legal tools to prevent, investigate and punish attempts to manipulate competitions. APADELA said enforcement can only succeed with cooperation between clubs, betting operators, sporting institutions and public entities.