INTERPOL task force discusses eSports match-fixing and betting risks

The 16th annual meeting of INTERPOL's Match-Fixing Task Force is being held in Portugal, where participants discussed the growing complexity of manipulation in eSports competitions and the difficulties investigative authorities face in countering betting-related fraud, according to the report. The meeting brought together representatives of law enforcement, sports bodies and private-sector parties working to protect the integrity of competitions.

Participants described investigative difficulties linked to eSports as particularly high and stressed the need for specific strategies to address new forms of crime. The report says the assessment is consistent with monitoring and investigations carried out by authorities and international bodies in recent years.

According to the report, video-game competitions have features that can make manipulation hard to detect: matches are often played online, involve participants resident in different countries and are organised through competitive circuits that do not necessarily refer to a single governing authority. Unlike traditional sports, the report says, the eSports structure is fragmented among game developers, tournament organisers, teams and independent bodies, which can complicate the application of common rules and the exchange of information needed to identify suspicious behaviour.

The report says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also addressed the issue, highlighting problems linked to the absence of uniform governance and the growing exposure of video-game competitions to betting-related manipulation risks.

Separately, the report cites John Pierce of Britain's Gambling Commission telling a parliamentary hearing in July 2026 that reports received by the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit on possible sports manipulation and corruption rose 28% between 2024 and 2025. The regulator receives just under 600 reports a year in total, according to the report. Alongside traditional disciplines such as football and tennis, eSports also feature among the areas of attention. The 28% increase concerns total reports received and cannot therefore be attributed solely to video-game competitions, the report says.

The report also describes a case in Ukraine, where a second criminal conviction linked to the manipulation of official eSports competitions was announced in July 2026. According to the authorities, the proceedings concerned activity attributable to an organised criminal group that allegedly influenced the results of competitive matches, involving players and deriving illicit profits from betting. Kyiv court found one defendant liable and imposed a sentence of two years of restriction of liberty with suspension of execution, the report says.

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) continues to carry out investigations and to adopt disciplinary measures against competition participants, according to the report. The violations it examines cover various forms of conduct contrary to sporting integrity and are not necessarily all linked to betting.

Cooperation between investigative authorities and private parties was also discussed at the meeting. The report cites a contribution by Ronan O'Laoire of the UNODC on practical tools that can facilitate information sharing between law enforcement in different countries. The INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force network was developed to support operational collaboration, the circulation of investigative information and links between authorities working against sports corruption, according to the report.

On the first day, the English Football Association presented an analysis of the Lucas Paquetá case, cited as an opportunity to discuss difficulties that can arise in sports investigations and the importance of examining proceedings that do not lead to the outcomes initially hypothesised, the report says. The meeting also allowed progress on defining collaboration activities between private industry and law enforcement planned for 2027.