Match-fixing will be a criminal offence carrying a seven-year jail sentence in New Zealand under a bill that has passed its first reading in parliament.
Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully says match-fixing is a growing problem internationally and has been described as the number one threat to the integrity, value and growth of sport.
"As we've seen from recent events, New Zealand is not immune to this threat," he said after his Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill passed its first reading on Thursday by a unanimous vote.
Former New Zealand cricket international Lou Vincent has confessed to match-fixing.
Former Black Caps Chris Cairns and Darryl Tuffey have also been involved in an International Cricket Council investigation into match-fixing, but both deny any wrongdoing.
The bill will be passed into law next year ahead of the Cricket World Cup and the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, which will be played in New Zealand.
It makes match-fixing a form of deception under the Crimes Act - the offence of obtaining a benefit or causing loss by deception.
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