FV ANTI GAMBLING POLICY
FFA and Football Victoria acknowledge that gambling on sport is a common activity for many Australian adults which, when undertaken responsibly, may be enjoyable. However, the FFA National Code of Conduct and the FIFA Code of Ethics impose obligations and restrictions on Players and Officials (such as coaches, referees, medical staff and volunteers) in relation to betting and match-fixing – including that you must not bet on any football matches, all around the world (including, for example, the A-League and the English Premier League).
Clause 4 of the FFA National Code of Conduct deals with matters related to betting, match-fixing and corruption.
In particular, clause 4.1 of the FFA National Code of Conduct states as follows:
A Member must not engage, directly or indirectly, in:
(a) any bet, wager, gamble or any other form of financial speculation where the relevant person stands to win or gain from the win, draw or loss of any Club competing in a Match;
(b) the throwing or fixing of a Match; or
(c) any conduct or behaviour intended to unfairly affect the result of a Match, including accepting or agreeing to accept any Benefit connected with or relating to the ability of a Member to exercise control over or influence the outcome of a Match so as to bring about a result other than that which would be achieved in a fair
contest between the competing teams
Note: Member is defined as including Member Federations, Competition Administrators, Clubs, Players, Officials, Match Agents and Intermediaries.
Further, ALL persons and bodies bound by the FFA National Code of Conduct, including Players and Officials, must immediately report to FFA or to Football Victoria any offer of a bribe or any attempt by a person in breach of clause 4 of the FFA National Code of Conduct (see clause 4.4 of the FFA National Code of Conduct).
In addition to being bound by the FFA National Code of Conduct, all officials and players (as well as match agents and players’ agents) are bound by the FIFA Code of Ethics. The FIFA Code of Ethics addresses a range of matters, including bribery and corruption, as well as prescribing the following in relation to betting and the integrity of matches and competitions:
Persons bound by this Code shall be forbidden from taking part in, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise being associated with, betting, gambling, lotteries and similar events or transactions connected with football matches. They are forbidden from having stakes, either actively or passively, in companies, concerns, organisations, etc that promote, broker, arrange or conduct such events or transactions.
The FIFA Code of Ethics also imposes on players and officials a duty of disclosure, cooperation and reporting (see Article 17 of the FIFA Code of Ethics).
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PLAYERS, TEAM OFFICIALS, CLUB OFFICIALS AND MATCH OFFICIALS ARE AWARE THAT:
➢ Agreements with betting operators enable the provision of betting account details and information to FFA;
➢ Information about any bet made by a registered participant on football may be provided to FFA upon request;
➢ FFA and Football Victoria controlled matches are monitored and real time notifications about betting markets on all FFA and NPL
competitions;
➢ FFA has relationships with government agencies and local and international law enforcement agencies;
➢ FIFA has an early warning system to track individuals and betting patters on football leagues worldwide; and
➢ Penalties apply for betting on football matches and for match-fixing, including fines, bans on participating in football and imprisonment.
Resources and further information for Players, Team Officials, Match Officials and Club Officials
• Football Victoria Sports Betting and Match-Fixing Quick Tips
• FFA Sports Betting and Match Fixing Guidelines
• Football Federation Australia Integrity Framework
• National Integrity of Sport Unit - E-Learning Program – all Participants should complete this program
• Interpol E-learning Program
If you are aware of any corruption, betting, bribes or match fixing in football (or attempts of these practices), immediately report it to FFA at