Australia needs to protect itself against a tsunami of corruption that has eroded sport in Asia, leading to revenue loss and criminal charges, an expert says.
Organised crime in Victoria makes the state particularly vulnerable to gambling and match-fixing, according to sporting corruption expert Declan Hill.
He said Australia needs to make a quantum leap in defending itself against match-fixers who have devastated baseball in Taiwan, sumo wrestling in Japan and soccer across Asia.
"There is a tsunami of corruption going to hit Australian sport," Mr Hill said.
"The sports fans of Asia, the gambling people, the fixers of Asia are now going to turn their attention to Australia."
At a Victoria Police integrity in sport symposium in Melbourne on Wednesday he warned hundreds and millions of sponsorship dollars had been lost in Asia.
"You've got television rights going, you've got empty stadiums, you have hundreds of players that have been arrested, you have suicides of people, this is a massive, huge problem," Mr Hill said.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton said the globalisation of the match-fixing industry meant Australia needed to better insulate itself.
"It is a real vulnerability, that global aspect."
Australia's corporate bookmaking market is co-operative but Victoria Police rely on overseas betting and monitoring agencies to give them information, Mr Ashton said.
Switzerland-based sports data agency Sportradar alerted the Football Federation Australia to large amounts of money being wagered on Victorian Premier League games last year.
The senior coach and four players at Melbourne club the Southern Stars were charged with criminal offences over six games.
Mr Ashton said the Victoria Police sporting integrity intelligence unit had been gathering intelligence of match-fixing since it was formed in 2013.
"There's over 8000 sports betting operators worldwide now and they'll frame a market on anything," Mr Ashton said.
He said 80 per cent of betting worldwide happened illegally.
"What we're seeing overseas is sport being eroded, leagues being destroyed, public confidence in sport being eroding and weakening in the benefits," Mr Ashton said.
"It is something that is coming."
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