Lords Committee Backs UK Ratification of Council of Europe Match-Fixing Convention

The House of Lords International Agreements Committee has backed the UK Government’s proposed ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions.

Known as the Macolin Convention, the agreement is the first binding international legal instrument specifically designed to combat match-fixing and other forms of sports competition manipulation. The UK signed the Convention in 2018 but has yet to formally ratify it.

As reported by G3 Newswire, the Committee heard evidence from the Gambling Commission and Moses Swaibu. Swaibu, a former Crystal Palace footballer convicted of match-fixing in 2013, now works in sports integrity education.

Evidence highlighted football and tennis as particularly exposed to betting-related corruption. Lower levels of sport are considered especially vulnerable. Manipulation frequently crosses national borders and can involve organised crime.

The Committee said ratification would formalise existing cooperation and improve international intelligence sharing. It would also give the UK representation on the Convention’s Follow-up Committee.

However, the Committee cautioned that the Convention is not a complete solution. It will not eliminate match-fixing or unregulated betting markets.

Committee Chair Lord Johnson said ratification was “a step in the right direction”, adding that international cooperation must form part of the response to a problem that is frequently transnational. The report is due to be debated in the House of Lords on 15 September.

Vulnerabilities in Football, Tennis and Lower-Tier Sport

Testimony before the Committee identified football and tennis as sectors with heightened exposure to betting-driven corruption. Lower levels of competition lack equivalent oversight and are viewed as soft targets. Cross-border activity and organised crime networks routinely exploit these structural weaknesses.

Limits of the Convention and Gains from Ratification

Ratification delivers a formal channel for intelligence sharing and seats the UK on the Follow-up Committee. These steps build on existing arrangements without displacing them. The Committee record is explicit that the instrument does not remove the underlying problem of match-fixing or close unregulated markets.

Reporting: G3 Newswire

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