Tunisia takes steps towards sports sector reform
President Saied said the existing law fails to provide a clear amateur or professional framework.
Tunisia.- The government of Tunisia is working to implement reforms and improve the country’s sports infrastructure. Last month, President Kaid Saied and Minister Sadok Mourali met to discuss the draft law on sports structures.
The meeting, which was held at the Carthage Palace on Tuesday, April 22, marked a step towards modernising Tunisia’s sports sector.
According to President Saied, the existing law governing the industry has resulted in a hybrid model that fails to provide a clear amateur or professional framework.
Saied noted that the new bill must support Tunisia’s ongoing reconstruction efforts and anti-corruption initiatives, emphasising the need to end corrupt networks’ exploitation of sports.
The president also noted that all clubs, regardless of size, should have a meaningful role within the new sports framework.
Saied condemned the deterioration of sports facilities like the Olympic City and the plan to sell them at throwaway prices. He called it a national duty to protect these facilities and stop the fraudulent schemes.
Saied also stressed the need to revitalise youth centres, which have been allowed to deteriorate despite their potential for learning and sports. He said the centres must reassert their role in steering young people away from negative influences and behaviours.
Another aspect of the sports sector that the government is looking to regulate is sports betting and gambling. In November 2024, Mourali revealed during a joint plenary session that a draft law regulating sports betting will be introduced soon.
Mourali noted that the draft law had been reviewed by 26 public institutions, such as the Central Bank of Tunisia and the Competition Council.
The proposal aims to mitigate the rising problems associated with unregulated sports betting. Annual revenues from offshore sports betting platforms in Tunisia are estimated to be between 3 and 7 million dinars.
