ÖEHV becomes a member of the Play Fair Code

You can bet on the result of a game, the margin between the two teams or the total number of goals scored: just a few of the countless betting options offered by an ice hockey game.

Sports betting can be manipulated, including in ice hockey. Only a few years ago, there was an attempted match-fixing case in the domestic league. A player at the time was offered an incentive for his team to lose deliberately. He did the only right thing and reported the attempt immediately.

“We are delighted that, in our pursuit of clean sport with integrity, we can now rely on the expertise of the Play Fair Code. We are on the right side, with the right partner,” explains ÖEHV President Klaus Hartmann.

Indeed, since its foundation ten years ago, the Play Fair Code has become a firmly established presence in national and international sport when it comes to issues such as match-fixing and betting fraud, ethics and integrity. Around 1000 training sessions involving approximately 22.000 participants have been held nationally and internationally. The Play Fair Code's expertise is in demand for international research projects, as well as by organisations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), UEFA, the IIHF, the EHF, Interpol, UNODC and other important sports stakeholders.

In Austria, the initiative for integrity in sport works on behalf of the Ministry of Sport and the specialist sports associations and leagues for football, basketball, handball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, skiing, the win2day ICE Hockey League and now also the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation. From 2023 onwards, members of the national teams, athletes at youth performance centres and participants in coach education and further training programmes will be made aware of match-fixing and betting fraud in workshops, highlighting the risks, consequences and protective mechanisms.

“The fact that, alongside the professional league, ÖEHV is now also joining the Play Fair Code is testament to the acceptance and reputation we have steadily built up over the past 10 years, and naturally we are delighted about the new partnership,” say Play Fair Code President Friedrich Stickler and Managing Director Severin Moritzer in unison. “But this cooperation, too, is above all a task and an obligation, and one that we want to — no, will — fulfil to the best of our ability.”

The partnership between the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation and the Play Fair Code will begin on 01 January 2023. However, there is already an initial success to report: the European Fair Play Movement recently awarded the “#NoManipulation” campaign, jointly launched by Play Fair Code, win2day, ÖEHV and the ICE Hockey League, with the Diploma of Recognition.