United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS) took part in the 16th Annual Meeting of the INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force (IMFTF), held from 27-29 October 2026 at the headquarters of the Portuguese Polícia Judiciária in Lisbon, Portugal.
Addressing an audience of law enforcement officers on the first day, ULIS President Jean-Luc Moner-Banet presented the case of a suspected match-fixing and illegal betting operation in local football in Hong Kong, China.
During the presentation, Moner-Banet showed how monitoring and alerts provided by ULIS, through our collaboration with the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA), supported the investigation that ultimately led to the arrests of 19 people in June. The operation was conducted jointly by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF).
Moner-Banet highlighted five key takeaways for investigators:
- Betting data is a powerful investigative tool: investigators should know where to request it and how to interpret it.
- Multi-stakeholder frameworks significantly increase effectiveness: sport, betting operators and law enforcement each hold part of the picture.
- Multi-agency investigations work: in this case, the HKPF worked on illegal betting and the ICAC on competition manipulation.
- Joint education by the betting industry and sport is key: it reduces the pool of corruptible targets.
- Cross-border cooperation is essential: syndicates operate across jurisdictions, and because manipulation does not respect borders, neither should the response.
The fourth point was put into practice shortly after the arrests, when ULIS and the HKFA delivered integrity sessions to players and referees in Hong Kong, China.
“This case shows what betting data can achieve when it reaches the right hands,” said Moner-Banet. “Lotteries see the betting patterns, sport knows the game, and law enforcement has the power to act. We are grateful to INTERPOL for the opportunity to share this experience with investigators, and ULIS will continue to support them wherever our monitoring can help protect sport.”
A Global Network
The IMFTF brings together law enforcement agencies from around the world to tackle competition manipulation and related corruption in sport. It supports member countries in conducting match-fixing investigations in all sports and maintains a global network of investigators for the sharing of information and best practices.
Over 200 national points of contact from more than 128 jurisdictions currently make up this network. Alongside law enforcement officials, the IMFTF also includes stakeholders from the private sector, international organisations and sports federations.
The annual meeting featured presentations by task force members and law enforcement personnel on significant competition manipulation and sports corruption cases.
ULIS is part of the INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force and remains committed to supporting law enforcement agencies with betting data, integrity reports and expertise in the global fight against the manipulation of sports competitions.
