Sports Integrity
Anti-Money Laundering Consulting
Global sports has grown significantly in the last 20 years, especially in monetary terms, reaching an all time high of more than US$100 billion. This rapid growth has led to expanding opportunities for illicit practices like money laundering, match fixing and human trafficking. Money laundering has evolved immensely in the past few decades, and the sports world, with its relatively low levels of financial regulation, as well as its traditionally non-financially sophisticated nature, has made the industry as a whole and sports clubs in particular, perfect candidates for illicit practices.
In the sophisticated times in which we live in, the fight to keep sport clean from wide ranging forms of corruption is an ongoing battle and it requires the expertise of professionals. APC Sports has a sports integrity dedicated team comprised of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, members of ACAMS, which advises clubs and sports stakeholders on the practical application of AML legislation to their organizations, prepares relevant policies and procedures, creates and updates AML internal manuals and trains internal AML Compliance officers. Specifically, our services include the following:
- Assessment and establishment of adequate governance arrangements to ensure effective and prudent management
- Drafting the Club’s AML policy and procedures in adherence to FATF 40 Recommendations and the 5th EU AML directive, depending on the club’s country legislation on AML
- Provide advice and guidance on how to establish ongoing risk assessment mechanisms and procedures
- Prepare due diligence procedures and mechanisms throughout the course of dealings with beneficial owners, executives and third parties in order to manage and mitigate the club’s exposure to money laundering and the financing of terrorism
- Establish record-keeping procedures with relation to due diligence measures, account files and business correspondence including a record of all transactions
- Provision of training and seminars in connection with the implementation of AML policies and procedures
Anti-Corruption Policy Consulting
Sports is a multibillion-dollar business and thus a lucrative one which makes it prone to corruption. Sports corruption comes in different forms and can be found on various levels of the sports world at a local, national, institutional and international level.
APC Sports provides advice and guidance to sports clubs, sport governing bodies and regulators on how to safeguard and maintain integrity in sport. In the case of clubs, we help them equip themselves with the necessary tools to root out corruption. Our anti-corruption services include the following:
- Prepare the sports organization’s anti-corruption policy and procedures
- Provide advice and training to sports organizations in connection with the establishment and implementation of anti-corruption procedures
- Design mechanisms and prepare procedures in relation to the sports organizations ongoing risk assessment
- Training and seminars in connection with the implementation of anti-corruption policies and procedures
- Evaluation of a club’s governance arrangements and recommendations as to necessary changes for stricter anti-corruption control
FIFA Guidelines Compliance Consulting
FIFA has recently updated its Compliance Handbook in its effort to support compliance in its member associations and confederations.
Our sports integrity professionals provide assistance to national sports associations and confederations on the establishment and implementation of an integrity program which adheres to FIFA’s compliance standards. Specifically our services include:
- Provision of training and seminars to national sports associations in connection with the contents of the FIFA Compliance Program
- Assistance to national sports associations in setting up a compliance team and creating a suitable compliance framework and guidelines in connection with:
- Gifts and Hospitality
- Anti-bribery and corruption
- Conflict of Interest
- Reputational Risk
- Data Protection
- Raising Concerns
- Assistance in the establishment of monitoring procedures to ensure the proper operation of the compliance system
- Provision of support and advice in connection with the establishment of an appropriate financial governance model