The Republic of Armenia signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (Macolin Convention) on September 18, 2014. As of the end of February 2026, 44 states have signed the Convention.
According to the RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, the Convention gives an opportunity to set a new standard for the organization of sports competitions. Regulations are envisaged to encourage sports organizations, sports betting operators, competition organizers and any other organization to establish procedures and rules to combat the manipulation of sports competitions, as well as through the harmonization of national legislation. In particular, these include the prevention of conflicts of interests by prohibiting stakeholders involved in competitions from placing bets, as well as the misuse of inside information.
Sports organizations are also encouraged to adopt and implement appropriate measures to ensure effective monitoring of competitions at risk of manipulation, and the immediate reporting of suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
The Convention establishes regulations regarding the scope of persons whose participation in sports betting should be limited. It includes prohibitions on betting by persons involved in betting products, the abuse of position by sponsors or owners of sports organizations, as well as the creation of conflict situations by competition stakeholders or betting operators.
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As manipulation undermines the ethical foundations of sport, the Convention plays an important role in strengthening moral standards. The Convention promotes cooperation between state bodies and private organizations from different countries in order to ensure the effectiveness of the joint fight.
Emphasis is placed on educational programmes and public awareness to prevent abuse in sports.
The Convention also provides for a comprehensive set of proportionate measures, from monetary fines to a ban on activities, depending on the type of manipulation.
It is designed to establish a supervisory commission, which will also receive an annual report from the country regarding the current situation and the issues recorded.
It was also noted that there will be a need to adopt legislative and sub-legislative acts in future.
The issue of ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions was debated at the sitting of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport on March 17 and endorsed.
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