On February 14, 2023, the Goiás Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation, called Penalidade Máxima (Maximum Penalty), to investigate a match-fixing scheme in the final round of the Brazilian Serie B Championship. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigations show that three matches suffered from match-fixing.
The manipulation scheme took place through negotiations between a group and players, with the aim of influencing matches and obtaining success in high-value sports bets.
In this specific case, the investigations indicate that the manipulation took place so that the co-opted players committed a penalty in the first half of the matches in three games: Vila Nova vs Sport, Tombense vs Criciúma and Sampaio Correia vs Londrina. The players involved in the scam would have received R$10,000.00 (ten thousand reais) in advance for committing the penalties and, in the event of success in the sports betting, they would receive around R$140,000.00 (one hundred and forty thousand reais), which could yield up to R$2,000,000.00 (two million reais).
This type of fraud, known as match-fixing, is not unique to the Brazilian scenario and draws attention to the need to debate more effectively the need for integrity programs that guarantee not only the transparency of betting, but also the credibility of soccer and sports in general.
With the increase in sports betting and the lack of regulation in the sector, the risk of fraud and various types of manipulation in games must be on the radar of players and soccer clubs, making programs and methods aimed at adapting internal rules and sports laws and measures to prevent and identify fraud indispensable.
Crimes like these harm not only the sport, but also the fans, the clubs, the Confederations and Federations, and especially the sports betting providers.
Strong programs and the development of initiatives aimed at raising awareness among bettors and athletes are of the utmost importance and depend on the union between the public sector, bookmakers, soccer clubs, federations, confederations, as well as the main sports committees.
Educational and prevention methods, as well as channels for reporting manipulation, fraud and other crimes are essential if we are to guarantee the transparency and seriousness of sport.
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