Sport in Estonia falls under the Ministry of Culture's remit.

The Estonian Sports Ethics Rules (ESER) enter into force on July 1 and will categorize match-fixing as an internally punishable offense in sport even in sporting disciplines where it had previously not been and even if no criminal offense has been committed, the Ministry of Culture said, adding ways must be found to encourage those employed or engaged in sport to report match-fixing as a matter of honor.

The match-fixing issue also relates to remuneration to those working in sport, which is often modest or even non-existent.

A survey commissioned by the ministry found in any case match-fixing is not seen as a widespread problem, at least based on responses – 3 percent said they had been involved in match-fixing in Estonia at some point, a figure largely unchanged from a survey held in 2022.

On the other hand, absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence: The survey also found that while training on match-fixing has reached more athletes, coaches and referees than before, there is still work to be done and attitudes to change – for instance 11 percent of respondents to the latest survey said in certain cases match-fixing may be justified, 18 percent said they do not consider match-fixing to be a major threat to the reputation of sport in Estonia, while 29 percent said they believed that cheating of some kind is inevitable in sport.

Survey results also indicated that 43 percent of respondents received match-fixing training from the Estonian Anti-Doping and Sports Ethics Foundation (EADSE), awareness of cases in Estonia fell from 14 percent in 2022 to 12 percent in 2025; reporting to the EADSE has increased while reporting to sports federations has declined, the poll found.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents in ball sports receive some form of remuneration, with 33 percent earning salaries and 46 percent receiving none, while 16 percent have experienced financial difficulties and remuneration varies by role, with 80 percent of referees and 76 percent of coaches paid compared to 19 percent of athletes.

Additionally, 3 percent of respondents said they "regularly" place bets on sport via official betting channels, with 1 percent admitting to doing so on matches and games they participated in themselves.

The target group consisted of approximately 2,400 people across different sports.

The Ministry of Culture has opted to increase EADSE's operational support by €150,000 from 2026, bringing total support to €501,000.

Also, a Supreme Court precedent on a Tallinn Circuit Court conviction related to football match-fixing is awaited, and procedural practices and the use of fraud provisions in match-fixing cases may need to be reconsidered, depending on the final ruling, the ministry says.

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