Athletes play the game. Referees control it. Match-fixers target both.
Last month, United Lotteries for Integrity in Sport (ULIS) teamed up with the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) for a series of educational sessions aimed at exposing the tactics organised crime uses to corrupt global sport and ways the sporting community is fighting back.
ULIS Operations Manager Daniel Chan joined two educational sessions – one for Hong Kong Premier League players and the other for referees – to address integrity threats facing both athletes and match officials.
Session for elite players:
The first session took place on 15 and 17 August at the Olympic House in Causeway Bay, attracting 292 participants, including players and staff from 11 local football clubs.
The training addressed the risks and consequences of match-fixing for players’ careers and reminded participants of the integrity rules governing sports betting. Using practical cases and video footage, the sessions also demonstrated how match-play analysis can provide an additional layer of evidence to complement the suspicious betting movements that ULIS detects through its monitoring systems – illustrating how manipulation on the pitch and irregular patterns in betting markets are increasingly analysed together.
Beyond integrity and corruption prevention, participants received updates from the HKFA on the Laws of the Game, anti-doping protocols, and essential medical guidelines for youth players and support staff.
HKFA General Secretary, Charles Cheung (left) and ULIS Operations Manager Daniel Chang (right)
Seminar for referees:
A second seminar for referees took place on 28 August, drawing around 270 highly engaged participants who contributed to active discussions throughout the session. Tailored specifically for match officials, the seminar used real-world video case studies and interactive quizzes on recent amendments to the Laws of the Game.
“The discussions with footballers and referees were highly engaging, and it was clear from their participation that they could directly relate the material to situations they may encounter on the pitch. By raising awareness through realistic, relatable scenarios and equipping players and match officials with the knowledge to recognise, respond to, and report potential manipulation, sessions like these strengthen the sport’s integrity framework. When participants understand both how manipulation occurs and how it can be detected and addressed, they become an active and informed line of defence for the game,” said ULIS Vice-Chair Chris Lo.
While integrity awareness sessions have been delivered to football stakeholders in Hong Kong, China before, these latest workshops came at a particularly important moment for the sport. In the wake of a recent investigation into competition manipulation and illegal betting in local football, supported by ULIS monitoring and betting intelligence and resulting in 19 arrests, the sessions reinforced key integrity messages and equipped players and match officials with the practical knowledge needed to identify, report and act on potential threats to the game.
The operation targeted individuals across multiple tiers: one coach and six players from three First Division clubs, a coach from a Hong Kong Premier League U-22 club, and one former First Division player.
According to Hong Kong Police Force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the suspected syndicate set up accounts across several illegal gambling websites and distributed them to acquaintances, some within the local football community. The bets are said to have covered both overseas and local matches, with a number of local matches allegedly being manipulated. Investigators believe the operation may have been active for two to three years, with the total value of bets collected estimated to exceed HK$6 million.
ULIS and the HKFA maintain a strong working relationship, which deepened in January 2025 when the HKFA joined ULIS as an associate member, strengthening the cross-border information-sharing network that helps both organisations and the wider regulated betting sector detect and respond to integrity threats. ULIS extends its sincere appreciation to the HKFA for hosting these critical educational sessions.
For more information on Hong Kong, China’s prominent position in international anti match-fixing efforts and the role of ULIS in those efforts, please consult this story from the Hong Kong-based, Chinese-language news and lifestyle media outlet Sing Tao Headline.
