The Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill, introduced
this week, clarifies that match-fixing to influence a betting
outcome - rather than for tactical sporting reasons - is a crime in
New Zealand.
Responsibility for addressing less serious types of
match-fixing will lie primarily with national sports organisations
which, under a new
policy developed by Sport New Zealand, are expected to
implement rules to address the issue.
The Bill
The Bill would amend the Crimes Act 1961 to bring serious
match-fixing expressly within the existing offence of
'obtaining by deception or causing loss by deception'
– punishment for which can include a term of up to seven
years imprisonment.
Certain match-fixing activity may already be caught by a range
of other offences in both the Crimes Act and Secret Commissions Act
so one effect of the Bill is to clarify the legal position.
