Second Match-Fixing Conviction Confirms That Manipulation of Sports Competitions Does Not Go Unpunished

Ukraine has issued its second criminal conviction in a case involving the manipulation of the results of official esports competitions. The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv approved a plea agreement in criminal proceedings concerning unlawful influence on the results of official sports competitions.

According to the case materials, an organised criminal group had been manipulating the results of official esports matches over an extended period, involving athletes in fixed matches and obtaining illicit benefits through sports betting. The court found the defendant guilty of criminal offences under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 369-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced him to two years of restriction of liberty, with exemption from serving the sentence on probation.

The procedural supervision and public prosecution were carried out by prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office. The pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, while operational support was provided by the Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine, whose representative is a member of the National Platform of Sports Integrity.

As part of interagency cooperation, experts of the National Platform provided consultation and methodological support concerning the functioning of the sports betting market, mechanisms of sports competition manipulation and international standards for combating match-fixing. Such cooperation brings together the expertise of law enforcement authorities, the sports community and international partners to facilitate more effective investigations of such offences.

The second conviction in this case is another confirmation that manipulation of sports competition results does not go unpunished. The National Platform of Sports Integrity will continue to coordinate cooperation among public authorities, sports federations, law enforcement agencies, licensed betting operators and international partners to prevent match-fixing and strengthen the integrity of Ukrainian sport.