France cracks down on match-fixing with new law
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12 Aug 2025 •
Reading time: 2 minutes In France, match-fixing (the manipulation of results for profit) has long been seen as a marginal problem. But this ambiguity is about to disappear: since June 2025, this practice has been treated as organised crime, on a par with drug trafficking and human trafficking.
How has the legislation changed?
All it took was an amendment slipped into a bill initially aimed at combating drug trafficking: match-fixing is now included in the Code of Criminal Procedure on the same level as organised crime. Until then, cases were dealt with in the ordinary courts, often with symbolic penalties. But today, it is the specialised JIRS (Interregional Special Juries) courts that have jurisdiction, the same courts that deal with complex cases involving cartels or human trafficking.
A stronger legal response
The new law gives investigators tools that were previously reserved for major mafia organisations: surveillance, phone tapping, hidden microphones, infiltration… All of these methods are now authorised to dismantle sports corruption networks. Corentin Segalen, coordinator of the national platform against manipulation, explains:
‘We have been true pioneers in training JIRS magistrates on these issues, particularly with the Paris and Marseille public prosecutors’ offices.’
The penalties have taken on a whole new dimension: an individual found guilty of organised match-fixing can now face up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to one million euros – or double the amount of the illegitimate profits obtained. This severity marks an unprecedented turning point.
Why was it necessary to go so far?
Match-fixing represents an insidious threat: criminal networks see it as an ideal way to launder money and manipulate results on a large scale. Until now, the legal tools available were insufficient. To combat this crime effectively, France has chosen to align it with organised crime.
In 2010, France regulated online betting, and in 2016, it created a national platform dedicated to the manipulation of competitions. In 2023, the ratification of the Macolin Convention confirmed its international commitment to combating this threat.
Today, the threat has clearly taken on a new dimension. Investigators have learned to identify sophisticated manipulation strategies: coded communication, use of disposable phones, multiple connections.
A silent revolution
This law marks a silent but powerful revolution in the fight against corruption in sport in France. It sends a clear message: from today onwards, match-fixing is no longer a simple offence, but a serious affront to the integrity of sport. With prison sentences, heavy fines and investigations worthy of the worst criminal cases, France is giving itself the means to achieve its ambitions: to protect the game, its players and, above all, the trust of spectators.