As the spectre of match-fixing "haunts tennis," the IOC said that "it will take unprecedented measures to ensure the Rio Olympics aren't tainted by gambling or the manipulation of results," according to Phil Lutton of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.
The IOC "continues to rate betting, manipulation and corruption as a bigger danger than doping in terms of retaining the integrity of competition." The new regulations "are part of the Olympic Agenda 2020 roadmap and will govern all of the international federations competing in Rio."
The Australian Olympic Committee is "among the signatories to the sweeping Code, which also couples the IOC-managed IBIS intelligence system to agreements with Interpol and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime." The Code "came to life to relatively little fanfare in late December after it was approved by the IOC executive board." But "the revelations about match-fixing suspicions in the world of tennis -- also an Olympic sport -- have given it fresh significance as the Games countdown slips under 200 days." The IOC has described the Code as a baseline "regulatory framework defining the different kinds of violations, minimum standards of disciplinary procedures and the scope of sanctions."
The Code "applies to any accredited athlete or official in Rio 2016," although it does not include accredited media, which the Australian Football League has banned from betting on matches during set periods on game day (SMH, 1/19).
