When does knowledge become cheating? It’s a tricky question and one that the City has tried to define for many years, so that insider trading is now illegal. In sport, just like the trading floor of the City, knowledge of an athlete or animals’ abilities can be put to good use in the betting shop.

The Gambling Act 2005 is trying to define the difference between cheating and honest gambling in sport, and nine sporting bodies have signed up to a new code of conduct to try and keep betting on sport clean. It also wants to maintain the professional integrity of sportspeople, who can be accused of cheating when a surprise result occurs.

We all know that if a footballer bets on a game and then deliberately affects the outcome, that is cheating; but is it the same when a doctor’s receptionist knows that a cricketer has a sore thumb? The 10-point action plan means that offenders will be liable to a two-year prison sentence, and the Gambling Commission will have strong powers including the ability to freeze, or seize bets involved in malpractice. It’s a tricky area but the plan is trying to avoid conflicts of interest and the misuse of privileged information The sports that have signed up to the code include darts, cricket, football, horse, motor and greyhound racing, rugby union and league, snooker.

In the USA sports betting is illegal (oh yes it is!), apart from horseracing, and it is heavily restricted in Europe, but in the UK we are talking a £53 billion turnover business. But, as we all know, where there is money, there are cheats, but this action-plan is trying to keep betting clean so that the majority of the public can enjoy a punt, without a few cheats ruining it for everyone.

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