News | 10 January 2019
Final Tennis integrity report published
The Independent Review Panel (“the Panel”), led by Adam Lewis QC and composed of LALIVE partner Dr Marc Henzelin and Beth Wilkinson, has just published its final report on integrity in tennis. The Panel was appointed in 2016 by the four organisations governing international professional tennis to address the integrity issues that the world of tennis is facing today. The Report has involved an unprecedented investigation into allegations of gambling-related corruption in this sport.
The Panel has conducted an extensive independent review into the nature and extent of the problem, assessed historical and current approaches to these issues and identified potential improvements for the future. Its work included interviewing and collecting statements from all the leading stakeholders in professional tennis and analysing large volumes of documentation provided by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) and international governing bodies.
The Final Report includes a list of recommendations and measures to deal with the underlying causes of the current integrity issues in tennis, focusing on the need to reduce the betting markets that ultimately drive the problem. The proposed measures include eliminating opportunities and financial incentives for breaches of integrity; establishing a newly-empowered TIU overseen by an independent Supervisory Board; requiring players and other key participants in the sport to complete enhanced integrity training as a condition for playing, improving accreditation, security and disruption control; enforcing expanded integrity rules and revising the TIU’s approach to investigating, detecting and punishing offenders; and, finally encouraging national and international cooperation and enforcement.
The full report can be consulted here.
This was an important mandate for the firm’s Sports law practice.
Please find below news coverage on the report:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/46624276
https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/46822784
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-47121681
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