Australia plans 10-year jail for match-fixing

SYDNEY: Law ministers in Australia's states and territories on Friday struck a deal that will see sporting match-fixers face up to 10 years in jail.

The ministers agreed to draft new legislation to deal with the issue and ensure it is handled with consistency throughout the sprawling country.

The new laws with impose a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of using inside information for the purposes of placing bets where they know the outcome of a sporting event has been fixed.

There will be similar penalties for those who engage in match-fixing conduct or encourage others to do so.

It is expected most states and territories will enact the new laws some time next year.

The announcement came in the same week that Cricket Australia formed an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit to help maintain the integrity of the country's domestic competitions.