Summary

The main forms of sport-related corruption are the use of banned substances (doping), bribery, match-fixing, insider trading, and money laundering. As in the area of international sport, the use of doping and match-fixing are the most common forms of sports corruption in Estonia. There are no special provisions for them in the Estonian Penal Code. Both the violation of doping rules and match-fixing are governed by the Sport Act.

The author is of the opinion that the prosecution/resolution of offences committed on a large scale and often with the participation of a criminal contingent cannot be left to the sports organisations alone, but requires a clear and, if necessary, extensive criminalisation of sports corruption. This would require a broader discussion between the ministries involved (the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of the Interior) and the sports organisations, and the development of precise rules to allow investigative bodies to pay attention to this area and treat offences against fair sport on an equal footing with other offences. Due to the international nature of sport, the harmonisation of national rules is also an important aspect to allow for cross-border cooperation and operational action to tackle and prevent sports fraud.