The Project Coordinator is the Italian Government Office for Sport
Overall objective of the project is to develop a European integrated private-public model for match-fixing prevention through a tailored selection of European good practices which can suit and strengthen the existing Italian advanced cooperation good practices. Italy is the testing country where a significant upgrade in the prevention policies is pursued; indicatively Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Scotland/UK, Norway, the Netherlands will be the areas where possible local declinations of the model will be prepared; other EU countries will take profit from the Model elaboration through the Data Repository of the Coordination Room.

Operative objectives:

1) Qualitative Analysis, structured through interviews and focus groups with European top decision-makers involved in the sports betting process. The Analysis will be the basis for the elaboration of a “Synoptic Integrated Frame”: such tool is conceived as a sort of  “reference navigation map” for the “complex territory” of match-fixing, functional to all interacting actors, in order to develop a solid shared interpretation background, which is presently missing, for coordinated policies;

2) Establishing of a European “Coordination Room”, with embedded Data Repository, to: a) collect a selection of EU practices functional to the model; b) prepare the ground for its further diffusion;

3) Setting up of a Private Public Cooperation Integrated Procedure For Prevention to extend the capacity of preliminary identification of risky situations, moving from the already existing cooperation in Italy between police forces and betting operators.

4) Activation of an innovative Protected Reporting System, named “Channel”, moving from existing ongoing practices, based on the structural involvement of the Commerce Chambers’ network and through a design approach where social sciences competences will play a key-role. The Palermo territory in Sicily will be the pilot area through the Sportello Legalità (Office/Desk for Companies Assistance against illegal practices) of the local Commerce Chamber.

Such integrated “formula” (Synoptic Frame ensuring solid comprehension + Coordination Room allowing consistent practices sharing + Public Private Protocol for Prevention delivering strong information exchange and enabling the police forces to effective prevention + Protected Reporting Channel guaranteeing access to sensible sport insider information), together with the European scale replication through local tailored declinations, is highly effective in addressing the pursued priority of preventing sport betting from usage by crime organizations because it: a) generates an environment highly aware and empowered to manage risky situations from the very beginning; b) enables police forces and public authorities to operate through faster responses starting from situations as soon as they become suspicious, largely before they become illegal practices; c) makes it much riskier for organized crime to develop illegal betting business; d) strengthens the international cooperation framework where police forces operate.