By Gordon Farquhar BBC Five Live sports news correspondent

MPs have been discussing the future of sports betting

A report by the all-party Parliamentary betting and gaming group has recommended that there should be tough new measures to crack down on corruption in sports-related betting.

What was the reason for the inquiry?

The Parliamentary Betting and Gaming group wanted to test the growing claims of problems within the sports betting industry connected with cheating.

Sport betting rules in spotlight

The perception was that more cheating was going on as a result of the explosion in betting opportunities provided particularly by the internet, but also through mobiles etc.

They also wanted to have a look at the betting exchanges which basically allow punters to set odds among themselves and bet on just about any aspect of a race or match.

The wanted to make a contribution to the debate about the gambling bill that's going through the House of Commons at the moment.

What are the main conclusions of the report?

After a substantial inquiry that took evidence from a number of sports, including racing and representatives of the betting industry, the committee came up with 15 recommendations: the five most significant seem to me to be:

• Define what actually constitutes cheating.

For example, if a stable lad from a racing yard passes on privileged information, when should that be determined as cheating. Only if he profits from it?

• Increase the penalties for those who are caught cheating.

  Sir Paul Condon wants offenders sentenced for five years

• Carry out a review of the difficulties faced by governing bodies in convicting the guilty, and legislate to help them.

Policing their own sport costs governing bodies time and money.

Their powers are limited at the moment, for instance they are not allowed to search properties or remove equipment like computers that might hold valuable evidence.

Police forces have not always been eager to take the cases on as they are complicated, time consuming and convictions have been hard to secure.

• Extend the principle of establishing audit trails in order to identify punters, and what bets they've placed.

The betting exchanges have been applauded for this.

They oblige punters to register and provide bank/credit card details before they can use the facilities, so it is possible to trace who placed which bet, when, and for how much.

They have also signed a memorandum of understanding with the racing authorities to exchange information, and alert them to anything irregular. This should help make the betting industry more transparent.

• Devise a common set of standards to decide who is allowed to bet on their own sport, and in what way.

For example, should a cricketer be allowed to place a bet on the number of times the bails are removed during a day's play?

A wicket-keeper could manipulate that to his own advantage. Bets like that have been placed in Australian club cricket.

Did the parliamentarians reach any conclusions as to the size of the problem?

Not really. A common response from sports is to say there is a small problem, or that their sport is no worse than any other.

To be honest, they don't really know, and the suspicion remains that far more cheating goes on than anyone is aware of, especially through the manipulation of inside information.

Will any of this make any practical difference?

Taken in the round, the new gambling bill should protect punters better, and give governing bodies stronger powers to police their own sports.

But the feeling remains that, as ever with gambling, there will still be those who are determined to circumvent the rules.