France Reclassifies Match-Fixing as Organised Crime, Granting Authorities Sweeping New Powers

• France has passed a new law that reclassifies match-fixing as a form of organised crime, placing it on the same legal footing as drug trafficking and serious financial fraud.
• The reform grants prosecutors powerful new investigative tools, including covert surveillance, wiretapping, and undercover operations, which are rarely used in sports-related cases.
• Penalties for those found guilty have been significantly increased, with potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to €1 million.
• The gambling regulator, ANJ, will play a key enforcement role, with enhanced powers to monitor betting markets and block wagers on suspicious events.
• The move is seen as one of the most aggressive steps taken by a European nation to combat sports corruption and the criminal networks behind it.

France has fundamentally escalated its fight against sports corruption, passing a major new law that reclassifies match-fixing as a form of organised crime. The move, one of the toughest of its kind in Europe, signals a significant shift in legal strategy, from treating incidents as individual crimes to targeting the organised networks that orchestrate them.

The reform is designed to give law enforcement and judicial authorities the tools and the mandate to pursue sports corruption with the same intensity as other serious crimes like drug trafficking.

Sweeping New Investigative Powers and Severe Penalties

The practical implications of this reclassification are profound. By placing these offences under the jurisdiction of France’s specialised inter-regional courts ( JIRS), which handle major organised crime, prosecutors now have access to a formidable arsenal of investigative techniques. These include:

• Covert surveillance and wiretapping
• The use of undercover agents
• Extended detention periods for suspects

This marks a dramatic change for sports-related investigations. The penalties have also been made significantly harsher. Anyone found guilty of active or passive bribery in connection with a sports or horse racing event now faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to €1 million. The law is designed to apply broadly to everyone in the criminal chain, from corrupt players and officials to the external fixers who manage the schemes.

Enhanced Role for Regulator ANJ

France’s gambling regulator, the Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), will be a central pillar of the new enforcement strategy. The ANJ is tasked with the real-time monitoring of betting markets to detect unusual patterns that could indicate manipulation.

If suspicious activity is detected, the regulator has the power to block all betting on a specific event. The ANJ will also lead a cross-agency anti-match-fixing task force, bringing together law enforcement, sports bodies, and betting operators to coordinate intelligence and prevention efforts.

Part of a Broader Integrity Push

This new law is the latest in a series of aggressive moves by French authorities to protect sporting integrity. It comes just a month after the ANJ proposed a “whistle-to-whistle” ban on all gambling advertising during live sports broadcasts, a measure aimed at reducing impulsive betting.

Together, these reforms send a “loud-and-clear” warning to criminal organisations. With a robust legal framework, powerful investigative tools, and a proactive regulator, France is positioning itself as a leader in the global fight to protect the integrity of both sport and the legal betting market.