AI, new risks and international coordination: outcomes of Ukraine’s participation in the Group of Copenhagen meeting

Participation in the 10th meeting of the Group of Copenhagen under the Follow-up Committee of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions marked an important step towards further strengthening Ukraine’s international cooperation in safeguarding sports integrity. The two-day event took place on 5 and 6 May and brought together representatives of national platforms for sports integrity, international analytical organisations and law enforcement agencies.

A Ukrainian delegation attended the meeting, comprising representatives of the National Platform of Sports Integrity: its Deputy Chair, Oleksii Perevezentsev, First Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine; Andrii Davydenko, Chair of the Ethics and Fair Play Committee of the Ukrainian Association of Football; Dmytro Panko, Acting State Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine; and Nataliia Radchuk, Secretary of the National Platform.

During the meeting, participants discussed a wide range of current issues related to combating the manipulation of sports competitions, including the development of international cooperation, improvements to legal mechanisms for investigations, coordination between national platforms, and educational and preventive measures.

One of the key topics of discussion was so-called prediction markets, which are expanding rapidly and creating new challenges for the system for safeguarding sports integrity. Participants noted that, despite existing legal restrictions, such platforms are already attracting substantial investment exceeding the volumes of the traditional betting market. Particular concerns include the risk of using insider information in sport for manipulation and, consequently, to generate profits or launder money, as well as the widespread use of cryptocurrencies, which makes user identification more difficult and increases anonymity.

The potential use of artificial intelligence to detect and investigate the manipulation of sports competitions was discussed just as actively. In particular, the discussions covered both real-time analysis of anomalous activity in betting markets and the use of analytical tools following reports of possible violations during competitions. The question of whether current artificial intelligence models can predict the course of sporting events was raised during the discussion but remained open and requires further study.

A separate session focused on the regulation of advertising and sponsorship in sports betting. Participants stressed the need for a systematic analysis of national approaches to restricting gambling advertising, identifying regulatory gaps and examining practices of covert or indirect sponsorship by both legal and illegal operators. Particular attention was paid to enforcement challenges and the need to develop common recommendations and best practices for participating States.

Another important topic was betting on children’s and youth sport. Participants noted a rapid increase in suspicious betting activity involving competitions with underage athletes, a global trend. It was emphasised that such practices create serious risks both for sports integrity and for young athletes themselves, who become vulnerable to influence and manipulation. In this context, calls were made for a complete ban on betting on competitions involving persons under the age of 18, restrictions on the use of the relevant sports data for betting purposes, and stronger international coordination to combat such practices.

On the second day of the meeting, Nataliia Radchuk briefed international partners in her address on the current situation in Ukraine, including the impact of the war on the organisation of sporting activities, and on the practical results of the National Platform of Sports Integrity’s work.

In particular, it was noted that, despite the difficult conditions, Ukraine continues to implement the provisions of the Macolin Convention, investigate cases of possible manipulation, and strengthen cooperation with law enforcement agencies and sports federations.

“International cooperation remains key to combating the manipulation of sports competitions effectively. Ukraine has already joined the MARS Network and has also applied for ULIS membership to strengthen international information exchange,” Nataliia Radchuk stated.

Ukraine’s participation in the Group of Copenhagen meeting confirmed the country’s active role in the international dialogue on safeguarding sports integrity and its readiness to further develop cooperation, exchange information and implement international best practices.