Match-fixing is always a primary concerns for the organizers of the Olympic games. This year, the Australian Olympic Committee has announced new, stricter measures for athletes that are caught placing bets on any of the events or leaking information about their sports.
According to the AOC president John Coates, any player caught taking part in either activity will be sent home from the games. There will be no warnings, as the AOC believes that the penalties need to be harsh in order to discourage athletes from taking part in any illegal betting activities.
"In our case, the toughest penalty is that you go home or get dropped from the team”, says Coates “We are going to take the toughest stance possible."
In order to enforce these new rules, the AOC has rewritten its team membership agreement. It states that players are not permitted to share any confidential information about the AOC, any team or any players for personal gain or for any gambling purposes. These rules take effect is all players’ careers, stating from the time they are named a shadow member of the team.
The UK and other countries are adopting similar rules for athletes, working towards a goal for a scandal-free 2012 London Olympics.
