Central themes, both at the pre-event dinner debate and the Expert Summit, were the need for stronger transnational involvement to create a fully regulated solution, ensuring match-fixing is treated as a criminal offence, and cohesive Government regulation across national borders.

Underpinning much of the debate in the Portuguese city was the need for more and better information, co-operation and sharing of intelligence both between stakeholders and to the media.

"Vast sums of money are being invested in the sports betting industry with little to no oversight," SIGA chief executive Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros said at the end of the Expert Summit.

"The existing regulatory framework is simply ineffective.

"There is an urgent need to address this and overcome what is perceived as paralysis or a blockage of the system.

"If we are to safeguard sport and drive positive change in the industry, we must work collaboratively.

"Only by coming together and agreeing to a strong, global approach can we hope to effect the change so desperately needed.

"Leaderships are not to be proclaimed, they are to be performed.

"We must dignify our sport and elevate it.

"This is not an arrival point; it is a departure point.

"We must reinforce and build the future we want for sports.

"This is not just SIGA’s cause.

"It belongs to us all here."

The Expert Summit brought together high-profile sports leaders and industry experts, law makers, law enforcement, sports governing bodies, European Union and Portuguese politicians, as well as journalists and civil society leaders.

It was organised by SIGA in partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Portugal and the National Club of Sports Press as well as daily newspapers A Bola, O Jogo and Record and Portugal’s public radio station Antena 1.

Prior to the Summit, SIGA held the first meeting of its newly-formed Standing Committee on sports betting integrity.

It agreed, among other things, to review the SIGA universal standards on sports betting integrity, to promote research into key issues in sports betting integrity, and to encourage and work with SIGA members and committed supporters to adopt and implement the SIGA universal standards on sports betting integrity.

Furthermore, the Standing Committee vowed to reinforce and improve public awareness and understanding of the issues around sports betting integrity, to showcase and create opportunities for innovative sports betting integrity products and solutions, and to examine and advise on a framework for a sports betting integrity tax.

Among the speakers at the Expert Summit was British Conservative Party politician Emma McClarkin, a member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region.

"There is much that needs to be done but the SIGA universal standards on sports betting integrity are the starting blocks for the changes that need to be effected ahead," she said.

"I believe sport will win.

"But we need all stakeholders to come to fight against the manipulation of sport to ensure we protect the special spirit of sport."

Last month, the Independent Review of Integrity in Tennis called for professional tennis to ban sponsorship from betting companies and gambling on lower-level matches following match-fixing allegations.

The Independent Review of Integrity in Tennis, established in January 2016 following reports of match-fixing, stated that there are huge problems with the integrity of the sport as players at the lower levels of the game receive insufficient prize money, meaning they are susceptible to taking bungs.

The report surveyed more than 3,200 players and found that 14.5 per cent indicated they had first-hand knowledge of match-fixing in the sport.

The review also pointed out that only 336 men and 253 women in world tennis broke even in prize money before coaching costs were taken into account.

Much of the problem is said to have derived from the International Tennis Federation's deal with data company Sportradar, who sell constantly updated live scores of tournaments to betting companies.