International Sports Betting ─ Integrity, Deviance, Governance and Policy

With the development of communication technologies, sport betting has become a truly global phenomenon. Far from the traditional small local betting operator, the current dynamic sees vast sums of money being bet by punters in one country to a betting operator located in a second for a match located in yet another jurisdiction. As a consequence, the development of deviances, from match-fixing to money laundering has accelerated. This new reality has numerous implications, for the regulation of this billion dollar industry as well as for the very integrity of sport, sport financing and betting operations. This important new book explores the transformation of the sport betting industry and analyses the impact of its rapid internationalisation on sport organisations, betting operators and state regulators.

Written by an international team of academic researchers and industry professionals, the book examines the internationalisation of sport betting and the agency of, and implications for, betting operators, national states, regulators and sport organisations. It explores the central concepts of integrity and deviance, governance and policy, as well as perennial issues linked to the gambling sector as a whole such as regulatory responsibilities and the fight against gambling addiction. Unlike other treatments of the gambling industry, the book offers a multi-disciplinary sociological and managerial critique that goes beyond a traditional focus on law and regulation. It is essential reading for any serious student, research or practitioner working in the areas of sport business, international business, international regulation, policy studies or gambling studies.

Jean-Patrick Villeneuve is assistant professor at the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) and academic coordinator at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade (SIFT). He directs the International Public Governance unit. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from IDHEAP (Switzerland), a Master of Philosophy from Cambridge University (UK), a Master of Arts from Concordia University (Canada) and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University (Canada). His research interest include transparency, gambling regulation and citizen-administration relationships.

Martial Pasquier is Professor of Public Management and leads the Public Marketing Chair at the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP), Switzerland. He also teaches in other academic institutions and directs the Swiss Public Administration Network (SPAN). Professor Pasquier is vice-president of the Swiss Competition Commission and sits on numerous Boards and Foundation Councils