The Federal Sports Minister, Senator Mark Arbib, and Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President John Coates will represent Australia at a seminar looking at ways to combat illegal betting in sport which begins in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday.

The meeting will be chaired by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Dr Jacques Rogge, and attended by Sports Ministers from governments around the world, representatives from National Olympic Committees, the International Sport Federations, Interpol, the United Nations and sports betting operators.

Illegal betting threatens the integrity of the Games and the Olympic movement wants a unified approach. A move supported by John Coates.

Under its Team Agreement for 2012, the AOC has banned athletes and officials from betting on the Games.

Coates believes Government support is essential. He is pushing for criminal legislation for match fixing and cheating. He says there must be a body with the power to compel witnesses to give evidence. Sports should not investigate themselves and offenders should be placed on a public register.

Coates wants the betting operators to report any suspicious transactions.

The Lausanne meeting will look at what legal framework can be introduced to try and stamp out the problem. While no illegal betting has ever been detected at the Olympic Games, Dr Rogge has made it a high priority leading into the London Olympics in 2012.

Betting patterns were monitored at the 2008 Beijing Games and again at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. 300 legal betting companies took part and no illegal activity was detected.

Senator Arbib supports the need for a global solution. He has been working with sports organisations in Australia on ways to deal with corruption in sport but says there must be an international response.

"Gambling is international," Arbib told the Weekend Australian. "When you talk to the World Anti-Doping Agency and Interpol, they say they have seen the connection between the syndicates involved in doping and those involved in match fixing."

"We need an international response, which is why we are working with the IOC to discuss what international steps can be taken."

Mike Tancred in Lausanne
AOC