This bill is currently before Parliament.
Law, justice & rights
The bill would create seven Commonwealth crimes covering match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. and related conduct.
The government says inconsistent state and territory laws make match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. cases harder to investigate and weaken deterrence, while organised crime and overseas networks pose a growing threat. It also says corruption can occur without gambling, so the offences generally cover manipulation for any improper benefit or harm. More than 14 million Australians take part in sport each year, 2.8 million people volunteer for 184 million hours, and the sector employs 220,000 people; the government values sport's combined economic, health and education benefits at $83 billion a year. It provided the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions with $1.2 million over three years from 2024–25 and $0.6 million a year after that to establish and implement the offences.
Australia had a national match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. policy from 2011, but state and territory laws remained uneven; the 2018 Wood Review warned that organised crime and transnational manipulation risks were growing, while rising online betting and past fixing scandals increased the pressure for reform. After signing the Macolin ConventionAn international treaty aimed at stopping manipulation of sporting competitions. in 2019 and committing to Commonwealth offences, the government introduced this bill in 2026 to create seven national crimes covering match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it., corrupt benefits, concealment and information misuse, and the House passed it before Senate consideration began.
Julian Leeser (Liberal) said the Coalition would not oppose the bill in the House but questioned whether its broad reach and severe penalties were clear and proportionate. He argued that community and junior sport could be covered and that coaches, officials and volunteers needed a clearer line between genuine corruption, ordinary sporting decisions and honest mistakes. He also criticised the minister's power to include or exclude events without detailed legal criteria, required consultation or ordinary parliamentary disallowance. Leeser further said the broader national wagering system and protections for people who report wrongdoing remained unfinished, and questioned the lack of identified new investigation or education funding.
The government introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Labor, One Nation, some crossbench members.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
47 days
Updated 06 Oct 2026.
Meaning
The bill would create seven Commonwealth crimes covering match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. and related conduct. It would apply to organised sporting events, including esports, individual parts of a contest such as a tennis set, and events involving community or junior sport when the legal conditions are met.
A person could commit the main match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. offence by deliberately acting for an improper benefit or harm while taking the risk that their conduct will corrupt a sporting event. The conduct must affect, or be likely to affect, the result and fall below the standards of integrity a reasonable person would expect. The prosecution would not need to prove that the event was actually corrupted or that anyone ultimately gained or lost anything.
Deliberately offering or providing a benefit would become a crime if the person was aware of a substantial risk that it would tend to influence someone to corrupt an event and taking that risk was unjustifiable. The same test would apply to deliberately asking for, accepting or agreeing to accept such a benefit. Ordinary sporting rewards, such as wages, prize money, trophies and favourable draft selections earned through participation or performance, are excluded from the bill's meaning of a benefit. Ordinary sporting setbacks are also excluded from its meaning of harm, including losing matches or sponsorships, missing finals or being relegated to a lower league.
It would become a crime to alter, destroy or hide information about sporting corruption while taking the risk that this would help conceal an improper benefit or harm. The maximum penalty for an individual would be 10 years in prison, 10,000 penalty units, or both.
People could also be prosecuted for using or sharing information about corrupt conduct to seek an improper benefit or harm, or for possessing it with the intention that it be used that way. The maximum prison terms would be 10 years for using or sharing the information and three years for possessing it with that intention.
Using or sharing inside informationNon-public information likely to influence a betting decision. for an improper benefit or harm would carry up to three years in prison, 3,000 penalty units, or both. Inside informationNon-public information likely to influence a betting decision. means information that is not publicly available and would be likely to influence betting decisions if it became public.
The largest individual penalties would be 10 years in prison or 10,000 penalty units, equal to $3.64 million at the stated value of $364 per unit. For some offences, a company could face the greatest of 100,000 penalty units ($36.4 million), three times the benefit obtained, or 10 per cent of its annual turnoverThe relevant company's sales value over a specified 12-month period.. Lower maximums apply to the other offences.
The offences could reach some conduct outside Australia, including conduct connected with an event held in Australia and certain overseas conduct by Australians, Australian residents or Australian companies. For the main corruption, benefit and concealment offences, prosecuting conduct that happened wholly overseas would require the Attorney-General's written consent when the accused is neither an Australian citizen nor an Australian-incorporated organisation. Arrest, charge, remand or bail could still occur before that consent. Existing state and territory offences could continue to operate alongside the new Commonwealth laws.
Most provisions would start the day after royal assentFormal approval that turns a passed bill into law.. If the international Macolin ConventionAn international treaty aimed at stopping manipulation of sporting competitions. enters into force for Australia, its definition of a sports competition would become an additional legal connection for the main corruption, benefit and concealment offences, potentially extending their coverage. These treaty-linked provisions would not start at all unless the convention enters into force for Australia.
The minister could declare that an event counts, or does not count, as a sporting event and could declare a person or organisation to be a sporting body. These declarations would be made through published notices rather than regulations that Parliament can disallow.
495.3 Definition of sporting event (1) A sporting event is an event (whether or not virtual) that involves the participation in, or playing of, a sport (including an esport), where the event is administered, governed, approved, endorsed, sanctioned or licensed by a sporting body, and includes any part of the event or any occurrence within the event. (2) Without limiting subsection (1), an event may consist of a single sporting contest or a series of sporting contests. Example 1: Each football game is an event. The first goal scored is an occurrence within the event. Example 2: Each rugby gCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.7 Corrupting a sporting event (1) A person (the first person) commits an offence if: (a) the first person engages in conduct; and (b) the first person is reckless as to whether the conduct corrupts a sporting event; and (c) the first person engages in the conduct with the intention of: (i) obtaining a benefit for the first person or another person; or (ii) avoiding a detriment to the first person or another person; or (iii) causing a detriment to another person; and (d) subsection (3) applies to the conduct or subsection (4) applies to the sporting event. Note: See also section 49Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.8 Corrupting benefits given to, or received by, a person (1) A person (the first person) commits an offence if: (a) the first person: (i) provides a benefit to another person; or (ii) causes a benefit to be provided to another person; or (iii) offers to provide, or promises to provide, a benefit to another person; or (iv) causes an offer of the provision of a benefit, or a promise of the provision of a benefit, to be made to another person; and (b) the conduct covered by paragraph (a) would tend to influence a person (who may be the other person) to engage in conduct that corrupts aCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.10 Altering, destroying or concealing corrupt conduct information (1) A person (the first person) commits an offence if: (a) the first person alters, destroys or conceals information; and (b) the information is corrupt conduct information in relation to a sporting event; and (c) the first person is reckless as to whether the alteration, destruction or concealment of the information facilitates, conceals or disguises the occurrence of: (i) the obtaining of a benefit for the first person or another person in connection with the conduct to which the information relates; or (ii) the avoiCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.11 Use or communication of corrupt conduct information (1) A person (the first person) commits an offence if: (a) the first person uses or communicates information; and (b) the information is corrupt conduct information in relation to a sporting event; and (c) the first person uses or communicates the information with the intention of improperly: (i) obtaining a benefit for the first person or another person; or (ii) avoiding a detriment to the first person or another person; or (iii) causing a detriment to another person; and (d) subsection (3) or (4) applies to the use or communiCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.13 Use or communication of inside information (1) A person (the first person) commits an offence if: (a) the first person uses or communicates information; and (b) the information is inside information in relation to a sporting event; and (c) the first person uses or communicates the information with the intention of improperly: (i) obtaining a benefit for the first person or another person; or (ii) avoiding a detriment for the first person or another person; or (iii) causing a detriment to another person; and (d) subsection (3) or (4) applies to the use or communication of the infCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
Penalty for individual (6) An offence against subsection (1) committed by an individual is punishable on conviction by imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine not more than 10,000 penalty units, or both. Penalty for body corporate (7) An offence against subsection (1) committed by a body corporate is punishable on conviction by a fine not more than the greatest of the following: (a) 100,000 penalty units; (b) if the court can determine the value of the benefit that the body corporate, and any body corporate related to the body corporate, have obtained directly or indirectly and thCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.15 Offences against section 495.7, 495.8 or 495.10 (1) A person commits an offence against section 495.7, 495.8 or 495.10 only if: (a) both of the following apply: (i) the sporting event is to take place, is taking place or has taken place wholly or partly in Australia; (ii) the conduct constituting the alleged offence occurs in Australia or outside Australia or both; or (b) both of the following apply: (i) the sporting event is to take place, is taking place or has taken place wholly outside Australia; (ii) the conduct constituting the alleged offence occurs wholly or partly in AusCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
Criminal Code Act 1995 2 Section 495.1 of the Criminal Code Repeal the section, substitute: 495.1 Purposes of Division The purposes of this Division include: (a) giving effect to the Macolin Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions; and (b) protecting the activities, functions, relationships and business of corporations to which paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies from detriment caused by the corruption of sporting events that are administered, governed, approved, endorsed, sanctioned or licensed by such corporations. 3 Section 495.2 of the Criminal Code Macolin CCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
495.3 Definition of sporting event (1) A sporting event is an event (whether or not virtual) that involves the participation in, or playing of, a sport (including an esport), where the event is administered, governed, approved, endorsed, sanctioned or licensed by a sporting body, and includes any part of the event or any occurrence within the event. (2) Without limiting subsection (1), an event may consist of a single sporting contest or a series of sporting contests. Example 1: Each football game is an event. The first goal scored is an occurrence within the event. Example 2: Each rugby gCriminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) introduced text
Context
Australia had a national match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. policy from 2011, but state and territory laws remained uneven; the 2018 Wood Review warned that organised crime and transnational manipulation risks were growing, while rising online betting and past fixing scandals increased the pressure for reform. After signing the Macolin ConventionAn international treaty aimed at stopping manipulation of sporting competitions. in 2019 and committing to Commonwealth offences, the government introduced this bill in 2026 to create seven national crimes covering match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it., corrupt benefits, concealment and information misuse, and the House passed it before Senate consideration began.
Australia adopts a national match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. policy
All Australian governments agreed to work towards a consistent criminal-law response to match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. and fraudulent sports betting.
Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) explanatory memorandum ↗Wood Review identifies a growing organised-crime risk
The review identified match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. as a leading integrity threat and warned that opportunities for organised crime intervention were real and growing.
Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) explanatory memorandum ↗Australia signs the Macolin ConventionAn international treaty aimed at stopping manipulation of sporting competitions.
Australia signed the convention to support a coordinated international response to manipulation of sporting competitions, although it had not yet ratified it.
Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) explanatory memorandum ↗Government commits to Commonwealth match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. offences
The government agreed to establish Commonwealth match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. offences and to consider their scope, including inside informationNon-public information likely to influence a betting decision. and transnational conduct.
Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) explanatory memorandum ↗Sports betting turnover passes $50 billion a year
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that online sports-betting turnover had passed $50 billion a year amid a history of fixing scandals, highlighting the scale of the integrity risk.
Sydney Morning Herald ↗The government introduces the bill
The government introduced the bill in the House of Representatives to create seven Commonwealth offences for match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. and related conduct.
Parliamentary timeline ↗House passes the bill
The House agreed to the bill at third reading, completing its passage through that chamber.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Senate consideration begins
The bill was introduced and its second reading moved in the Senate, beginning consideration in the second chamber.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Referred to Committee (20/08/2026): Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report due 02/10/2026
Report due 02 Oct 2026
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Referred to Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
Considered by scrutiny committee (09/09/2026): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2026
Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2026
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Reported from Federation Chamber
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Key criticism
Julian Leeser (Liberal) said the Coalition would not oppose the bill in the House but questioned whether its broad reach and severe penalties were clear and proportionate. He argued that community and junior sport could be covered and that coaches, officials and volunteers needed a clearer line between genuine corruption, ordinary sporting decisions and honest mistakes. He also criticised the minister's power to include or exclude events without detailed legal criteria, required consultation or ordinary parliamentary disallowance. Leeser further said the broader national wagering system and protections for people who report wrongdoing remained unfinished, and questioned the lack of identified new investigation or education funding.
The government says the broader approach is deliberate because serious manipulation does not always involve betting, betting is generally unavailable on under-18 events, and sporting bodies cannot adequately address organisers or criminal groups outside the sport. The Coalition nevertheless supported strong penalties for serious corruption and said it would pursue its drafting concerns through the Senate committee process.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Jarrett supports the bill because its new national criminal offences and serious penalties will combat match fixing, organised crime and misuse of inside informationNon-public information likely to influence a betting decision. while protecting athletes and public confidence in fair sporting competition.
Read in Hansard ↗Monique Ryan supports the bill because its nationally consistent offences and penalties will deter match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it. and strengthen sporting integrity, but urges the government to also address professional sport's financial dependence on gambling companies.
Read in Hansard ↗Leeser says the coalition will not oppose the bill in the House, but will decide its Senate position after an inquiry examines whether the broad criminal offences are clear, proportionate and workable and whether ministerial powers have adequate safeguards.
Read in Hansard ↗Jordan-Baird supports the bill because its new national offences will combat match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it., betting-related corruption and misuse of inside informationNon-public information likely to influence a betting decision., protecting athletes and public confidence in fair sporting competition.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
7 speakers · 8 contributions · 7 support
“But there is something fundamental that makes sport work—we have to believe that it's fair. When two teams walk onto a field, when two players walk onto a court, when athletes line up behind that starting line, Australians expect that what happens next will be decided by their skill, by their preparation, by their courage and maybe even by a little bit of luck. What we cannot accept is the possibility that the result has already been decided somewhere else, not on the field but through corruption, through bribery, through organised crime, through the misuse of inside information or maybe even through match fixing. That's why this Albanese Labor government has introduced these important reforms. This legislation sends a very simple message: Australian sport is not for sale, and those who deliberately corrupt it should face serious consequences.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“When I look at the young people participating in sport across Gorton today, I see those same lessons being taught every single day. I see young people building confidence, learning respect, developing leadership skills and discovering what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves. That is why protecting the integrity of sport is so incredibly important. Everyone who steps onto a court, field or stage deserves to know that the competition is fair and that effort, commitment and talent are what will determine the outcome. That simple principle should be protected in our own laws. That is what this bill does. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The introduction of these new offences represents an important step forward in protecting the integrity of Australian sport. By strengthening and creating greater consistency across Commonwealth, state and territory laws, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors will be better equipped to investigate and prosecute those who seek to corrupt sporting competitions for their own gain.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“So this bill and the significant steps it takes in complement with the ratification of the Macolin treaty is about a fair sports sector, free from corruption, underpinned by safety and credibility and also underpinned by a drive to ensure that all stakeholders, be they the players, officials, umpires, spectators or, particularly, the kids who watch their sporting idols, are participating in sport in an environment that is not predictable, not predetermined and wholly based on the capability and merit available on the day. I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I think we're privileged in Australia with our sporting legends. I think we're privileged with the community sport we see across the electorates of our country. A fair, safe and strong sporting sector free from corruption is absolutely vital to our economy and to our community. It provides safety and credibility in sport and to the participants and Australia's participation in the international sporting arena. I support the legislation and commend it to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) Bill 2026 represents a vital step in protecting athletes, officials, and fans across all sporting codes by keeping criminal elements out of Australian sport.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Michelle Rowland on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Rowland supports the bill as a vital measure to protect Australian sport from match-fixingSecretly manipulating a sporting contest or part of it., criminal exploitation and corruption by creating national offences with substantial penalties and bringing Australia into compliance with the Macolin conventionAn international treaty aimed at stopping manipulation of sporting competitions..
“Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) Bill 2026 represents a vital step in protecting athletes, officials, and fans across all sporting codes by keeping criminal elements out of Australian sport.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Michelle Rowland supports the bill as a vital safeguard against match fixing, criminal exploitation and manipulation of Australian sport, particularly ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“As Australia prepares to host the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is essential that Australia has effective laws to ensure the integrity of sport. The passage of the Criminal Code Amendment (National Sport Integrity Offences) Bill 2026 is a vital step in safeguarding Australian sport from manipulation. I commend the bill to the chamber.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 mixed
“As I said at the beginning, while we won't oppose the bill in this place, we do have concerns with the way in which the bill has been drafted, and we will be pursuing those concerns through the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry. This legislation creates very serious Commonwealth criminal offences, including offences which can carry up to 10 years imprisonment and very, very substantial financial penalties. Parliament has a responsibility to make sure that those offences are clear, proportionate and workable. As we've noted, the bill's been referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, a very important committee, for its report by 2 October. There are important issues that the government needs to explain through that committee process before we can finalise our position in the other place.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 support
“But, when prevention fails, the law must be strong enough to respond. When somebody fixes a sporting outcome, bribes a petition, conceals corrupt conduct or deliberately exploits information, they do more than manipulate the result. They steal the contest from the athlete, they steal the contest from the supporter, and they steal the contest from the community. Australia should be able to take their children to a football match, watch a race or turn on a sporting contest and know that what they're seeing is genuine. That principle is worth defending. From the smallest country sporting club to the largest stadiums in Australia, the standard should be exactly the same: play hard, play fair, and let the contest decide the winner. Sports must be won by ability, preparation and courage, and never corruption. For those reasons, I support the criminal code amendment bill 2026 and commend the bill to the house.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 support
“Sport is one of Australia's great social institutions. It deserves strong and consistent protection against corruption in all of its forms. So, for those reasons, I support this bill. But, in doing so, I also encourage the government to pursue a broader agenda on integrity in Australian sport, one that encompasses not only criminal conduct on the field but also the financial relationships that are shaping the sporting landscape in homes and communities across the country.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Referred to Federation Chamber
Referred to Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Reported from Federation Chamber
Reported from Federation Chamber
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee
Report due 02 Oct 2026
Referred to Committee (20 Aug 2026): Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report due 2 Oct 2026
APH bill page notesSenate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills
Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2026
Considered by scrutiny committee (9 Sept 2026): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 11 of 2026
APH bill page notes
