Midlands based betting firm Bet365 has announced it is to create up to 600 new jobs in a new expansion plan that will see the company move into its new headquarters in Forge Lane Stoke on Trent.
Bet365 has over 2,200 employees currently and with the move has promised to increase that by another 600 by the end of the decade, reaching almost 3,000 staff.
Its joint chief executive Denise Coates CBE said: “I am from the area and apart from my time at university, have always lived here.
“Key to bet365’s success, is our fantastic and loyal group of employees who have worked with me over the years I have worked in Stoke.
“At the moment we contribute over £80 million annually into the economy in terms of staff wages, so it’s a significant amount being invested in the area in terms of those wages. Other businesses will also benefit”.
Bet365 is planning to build a new 13,000 square meter office in Forge Lane, which is almost double the size of the existing HQ.
December 09, 2013
Former Premier League player admits to fixing matches
Match fixing in English football took another incredible turn after the National Crime Agency arrested six people connected to another spot fixing investigation involving players in the Championship.
The sordid details were unearthed by the Sun with incredible information on former Premier League player Sam Sodji, who was caught on film bragging about his power to fix matches at a drop of a hat…or in this case, a show of a yellow or red card.
The information was gathered by an undercover reporter after compiling four month’s worth of information on the betting syndicate. Of those findings, the most incredible one was Sodje’s admission that he can arrange for players to earn yellow or red cards in exchange for pay-outs amounting to £30,000. The price goes up for a red card, or in some cases, balloons to the six digits if the fix happens in the Premier League where fines are typically higher than in the lower tier leagues.
The NCA isn’t commenting on details surrounding the arrest, opting only to say that six individuals have been arrested and are being questioned regarding the scope of their involvement in the syndicate.
Sodje’s claims, in particular, are especially damning after he was recorded bragging about his apparent match-fixing powers, even calling it “child’s play” because of the amount of money being waved in player’s faces.
“This guy came to meet me at my house and it was sorted,” Sodje was quoted as saying. “That’s how easy it is – it’s nothing.”
One particular incident occurred last February while Sodje was playing for Portsmouth. In a game against Oldham, the 34-year old Nigerian walked up to Oldham’s Jose Baxter and punched him in the gonads twice, earning a red card – and a pay-out for his actions. Even more perplexing was the reason for the attack, something Sodje attributed to referees not booking him during the match.
Nothing gets you sent off faster than knuckling up on a man’s privates, it appears.
The sordid details were unearthed by the Sun with incredible information on former Premier League player Sam Sodji, who was caught on film bragging about his power to fix matches at a drop of a hat…or in this case, a show of a yellow or red card.
The information was gathered by an undercover reporter after compiling four month’s worth of information on the betting syndicate. Of those findings, the most incredible one was Sodje’s admission that he can arrange for players to earn yellow or red cards in exchange for pay-outs amounting to £30,000. The price goes up for a red card, or in some cases, balloons to the six digits if the fix happens in the Premier League where fines are typically higher than in the lower tier leagues.
The NCA isn’t commenting on details surrounding the arrest, opting only to say that six individuals have been arrested and are being questioned regarding the scope of their involvement in the syndicate.
Sodje’s claims, in particular, are especially damning after he was recorded bragging about his apparent match-fixing powers, even calling it “child’s play” because of the amount of money being waved in player’s faces.
“This guy came to meet me at my house and it was sorted,” Sodje was quoted as saying. “That’s how easy it is – it’s nothing.”
One particular incident occurred last February while Sodje was playing for Portsmouth. In a game against Oldham, the 34-year old Nigerian walked up to Oldham’s Jose Baxter and punched him in the gonads twice, earning a red card – and a pay-out for his actions. Even more perplexing was the reason for the attack, something Sodje attributed to referees not booking him during the match.
Nothing gets you sent off faster than knuckling up on a man’s privates, it appears.
December 03, 2013
Match fixing scandal: Two men charged
Two men have been charged in connection with the latest match fixing scandal to hit the world of football, Michael Chopra talking about his gambling problems, and Kenny Sansom thanks the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) for helping him recover from gambling and alcohol problems.
The UEFA President Michel Platini believes that match fixing represents the greatest threat to the future of the world’s most popular sport, and we have three sports betting news stories from the UK that worryingly trend towards the magical Frenchman’s foresight.
Two men have been charged in connection with the English Football match fixing scandal that we brought you late last week.
Chann Sankaran, a 33-year old Singaporean national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43-year old with dual UK and Singaporean nationality, have both been charged with conspiring to defraud bookmakers by influencing the course of football matches.
At the time of writing there is still no news regarding the teams, or the players, involved but it’s believed to be non-league matches.
Five other men were released on bail and amongst them was Delroy Facey, 33, player turned agent who once graced the Premier League with Bolton.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) issued a statement that said Sankaran and Ganeshan had conspired together and with others ‘to defraud bookmakers by influencing the course of football matches and placing bets thereon. The Crown Prosecution’s Organized Crime Division found sufficient evidence and was satisfied it was in the public interest to authorize charges of conspiracy to defraud. The maximum sentence for this offence is 10-years’ imprisonment.”
Declan Hill, author of The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime and The Insider’s Guide to Match Fixing in Football,” told The Times ‘this tide of globalized sports corruption has reached all around the world. British football administrators have been sleepwalking themselves into a crisis. They’ve been warned about this for years.”
The Football Association (FA) has reacted to the news by stating that neither they nor the various leagues have been found guilty of complacency. The NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB must be smiling from ear to ear as they continue to gather evidence like this in their sports betting war against the New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as he promises to move heaven and earth to create a platform to allow online sports betting in the Garden State.
Non-league football is perfect for the snakes in the grass because it is nowhere near as high profile as Premiership or other English League matches. The players are on normal working-middle class wages and people expect them to make more mistakes and errors on the pitch.
One set of eyes that is firmly set on non-league football matches is that of the bookmaker, with a standard non league game expected to create over 50 different betting markets for the would be punter.
In a recent interview with Brian Touhy, author of the controversial sports fixing book Larceny Games: Sports Gambling, Game Fixing and the FBI, he told me that no player was safe from the clutches of the match fixers, as drug and gambling issues can create huge amounts of debt for even the richest players in the American leagues.
A case in point over the great blue yonder is the Blackpool Striker Michael Chopra, 29, who has revealed that he quit Cardiff City, and signed for Sunderland, so he could use the signing on fee to pay off his gambling debts during a trial at Newcastle Crown Court last week.
Chopra told the court how he would gamble up to £30,000 in cash with other players on the team bus en route to matches when just a teenager playing for Newcastle United.
“Players would gamble on the bus and I got involved. We would take thousands of pounds on to the bus, anything up to £30,000.
“It might change hands playing cards on the bus, we would go to the bank before and take out the money. It was part of team bonding. We were playing for real cash, if you were playing for £30,000 you would have it with you at the time.” Said Chopra.
Chopra also revealed how he was threatened by Scottish loan sharks during his time with Ipswich, the club and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) – headed by the gambling afflicted Gordon Taylor – organized a £250,000 loan to help him pay off debts created through gambling.
“I had loan sharks turning up at the training ground when I was at Ipswich. They came up to me and asked me for my autograph and said I better get myself into the club and get that money now.
“They said they knew what car I was driving and they would follow me until I paid them. They said they knew what school my little boy went to and where my parents lived and where I lived in Ipswich. I felt sick that I had put my family in that situation from my gambling.”
It’s believed Chopra lost £2m through gambling and was giving evidence at the trial of four men on drugs charges. Earlier this year Chopra admitted banning himself from as many gambling sites as he could in order to ‘fight this illness.”
It’s thought that Sheldon Adelson is keen to sign him up as star striker for the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG) football team.
Another former top-notch footballer has been in the news as a result of gambling problems.
The former Arsenal and England full back Kenny Sansom has publically thanked the FA after revealing how they have helped him find his feet again, after being found sleeping on park benches just four month ago.
Sansom lost everything as he fought against crippling alcohol and gambling addictions, but has been sober for the past two months thanks in part to the FA and also Sporting Chance. A clinic established by Tony Adams MBE in a bid to help sportsmen and women recover from alcoholism.
The UEFA President Michel Platini believes that match fixing represents the greatest threat to the future of the world’s most popular sport, and we have three sports betting news stories from the UK that worryingly trend towards the magical Frenchman’s foresight.
Two men have been charged in connection with the English Football match fixing scandal that we brought you late last week.
Chann Sankaran, a 33-year old Singaporean national, and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan, a 43-year old with dual UK and Singaporean nationality, have both been charged with conspiring to defraud bookmakers by influencing the course of football matches.
At the time of writing there is still no news regarding the teams, or the players, involved but it’s believed to be non-league matches.
Five other men were released on bail and amongst them was Delroy Facey, 33, player turned agent who once graced the Premier League with Bolton.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) issued a statement that said Sankaran and Ganeshan had conspired together and with others ‘to defraud bookmakers by influencing the course of football matches and placing bets thereon. The Crown Prosecution’s Organized Crime Division found sufficient evidence and was satisfied it was in the public interest to authorize charges of conspiracy to defraud. The maximum sentence for this offence is 10-years’ imprisonment.”
Declan Hill, author of The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime and The Insider’s Guide to Match Fixing in Football,” told The Times ‘this tide of globalized sports corruption has reached all around the world. British football administrators have been sleepwalking themselves into a crisis. They’ve been warned about this for years.”
The Football Association (FA) has reacted to the news by stating that neither they nor the various leagues have been found guilty of complacency. The NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB must be smiling from ear to ear as they continue to gather evidence like this in their sports betting war against the New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as he promises to move heaven and earth to create a platform to allow online sports betting in the Garden State.
Non-league football is perfect for the snakes in the grass because it is nowhere near as high profile as Premiership or other English League matches. The players are on normal working-middle class wages and people expect them to make more mistakes and errors on the pitch.
One set of eyes that is firmly set on non-league football matches is that of the bookmaker, with a standard non league game expected to create over 50 different betting markets for the would be punter.
In a recent interview with Brian Touhy, author of the controversial sports fixing book Larceny Games: Sports Gambling, Game Fixing and the FBI, he told me that no player was safe from the clutches of the match fixers, as drug and gambling issues can create huge amounts of debt for even the richest players in the American leagues.
A case in point over the great blue yonder is the Blackpool Striker Michael Chopra, 29, who has revealed that he quit Cardiff City, and signed for Sunderland, so he could use the signing on fee to pay off his gambling debts during a trial at Newcastle Crown Court last week.
Chopra told the court how he would gamble up to £30,000 in cash with other players on the team bus en route to matches when just a teenager playing for Newcastle United.
“Players would gamble on the bus and I got involved. We would take thousands of pounds on to the bus, anything up to £30,000.
“It might change hands playing cards on the bus, we would go to the bank before and take out the money. It was part of team bonding. We were playing for real cash, if you were playing for £30,000 you would have it with you at the time.” Said Chopra.
Chopra also revealed how he was threatened by Scottish loan sharks during his time with Ipswich, the club and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) – headed by the gambling afflicted Gordon Taylor – organized a £250,000 loan to help him pay off debts created through gambling.
“I had loan sharks turning up at the training ground when I was at Ipswich. They came up to me and asked me for my autograph and said I better get myself into the club and get that money now.
“They said they knew what car I was driving and they would follow me until I paid them. They said they knew what school my little boy went to and where my parents lived and where I lived in Ipswich. I felt sick that I had put my family in that situation from my gambling.”
It’s believed Chopra lost £2m through gambling and was giving evidence at the trial of four men on drugs charges. Earlier this year Chopra admitted banning himself from as many gambling sites as he could in order to ‘fight this illness.”
It’s thought that Sheldon Adelson is keen to sign him up as star striker for the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG) football team.
Another former top-notch footballer has been in the news as a result of gambling problems.
The former Arsenal and England full back Kenny Sansom has publically thanked the FA after revealing how they have helped him find his feet again, after being found sleeping on park benches just four month ago.
Sansom lost everything as he fought against crippling alcohol and gambling addictions, but has been sober for the past two months thanks in part to the FA and also Sporting Chance. A clinic established by Tony Adams MBE in a bid to help sportsmen and women recover from alcoholism.
Unibet targets casual players with move to standalone poker network
Swedish online gaming operator Unibet has announced plans to move to a standalone online poker product early next year, which has been developed exclusively for its Unibet and Maria brands by Estonian based supplier Relax Gaming.
The company said that it decided on the move as the “next step in developing their customer experience.”
The software is being developed exclusively for the Unibet and Maria brands by supplier Relax Gaming. In connection with this, Unibet is also investing €1.25m for a share in the company.
Unibet said that it has been closely involved in key functionality and design to cater for its new poker strategy.
“The environment in the online poker industry has changed over the years and we have come to the insight that being part of a poker network is not sustainable for Unibet in the long term,” said Unibet’s head of gaming Daniel Eskola. “This project has given us the possibility to start from a blank piece of paper and define everything we believe is important for a fun poker experience.
“In a way, our goal is to bring the fun back to poker by creating software with a clear focus on the casual player.”
Unibet and Maria will be the sole operators offering the new product after previously being part of a network of multiple operators through the Microgaming Poker Network.
”Our relationship with Microgaming remains strong, and we are continuing to offer Quickfire games in our casino,” added Eskola.
In its most recent results for the third quarter of 2013, online poker was the only product to post a year-on-year decline with gross winnings revenue falling 26 per cent to £2.5m. The product accounted for just 4 per cent of the company’s total revenue during the quarter.
Unibet said that the new software will include a user friendly table selection, rich 3D backgrounds, the ability to change avatar and screen name, as well as gameplay features such as achievements and missions.
Unibet Poker will be available for PC and Mac download, browser, and tablet versions for both iOS and Android.
The company said that it decided on the move as the “next step in developing their customer experience.”
The software is being developed exclusively for the Unibet and Maria brands by supplier Relax Gaming. In connection with this, Unibet is also investing €1.25m for a share in the company.
Unibet said that it has been closely involved in key functionality and design to cater for its new poker strategy.
“The environment in the online poker industry has changed over the years and we have come to the insight that being part of a poker network is not sustainable for Unibet in the long term,” said Unibet’s head of gaming Daniel Eskola. “This project has given us the possibility to start from a blank piece of paper and define everything we believe is important for a fun poker experience.
“In a way, our goal is to bring the fun back to poker by creating software with a clear focus on the casual player.”
Unibet and Maria will be the sole operators offering the new product after previously being part of a network of multiple operators through the Microgaming Poker Network.
”Our relationship with Microgaming remains strong, and we are continuing to offer Quickfire games in our casino,” added Eskola.
In its most recent results for the third quarter of 2013, online poker was the only product to post a year-on-year decline with gross winnings revenue falling 26 per cent to £2.5m. The product accounted for just 4 per cent of the company’s total revenue during the quarter.
Unibet said that the new software will include a user friendly table selection, rich 3D backgrounds, the ability to change avatar and screen name, as well as gameplay features such as achievements and missions.
Unibet Poker will be available for PC and Mac download, browser, and tablet versions for both iOS and Android.
December 02, 2013
Estonia match-fixing: 11 charged on suspicion of fixing 17 games
Eleven footballers have been charged in Estonia on suspicion of fixing 17 matches, including three in the Europa League, prosecutors said Monday.
Prosecutors said the men were part of a match-fixing conspiracy covering teams in Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, who allegedly agreed to fix results and signed players based on their willingness to fix games.
“The teams looked for individuals who were ready to play in such a way that that events took place in a predetermined way, or that the desired results was achieved,” Estonia’s Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a website statement.
The 11 players allegedly earned a total of over 108,000 euros ($146,000) from match-fixing between June 2011 and November 2012.
There was no word on which particular matches were fixed, and the players were identified only by their first names and ages. As well as the three Europa League games, prosecutors said 12 Estonian league games were fixed, as were one game in the Estonian Cup and Lithuanian league.
Prosecutors said the men were part of a match-fixing conspiracy covering teams in Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine, who allegedly agreed to fix results and signed players based on their willingness to fix games.
“The teams looked for individuals who were ready to play in such a way that that events took place in a predetermined way, or that the desired results was achieved,” Estonia’s Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a website statement.
The 11 players allegedly earned a total of over 108,000 euros ($146,000) from match-fixing between June 2011 and November 2012.
There was no word on which particular matches were fixed, and the players were identified only by their first names and ages. As well as the three Europa League games, prosecutors said 12 Estonian league games were fixed, as were one game in the Estonian Cup and Lithuanian league.
November 29, 2013
Bulgaria delays vote on online gambling tax reduction, Hills sites off blacklist
Bulgaria missed its chance to reduce its much-loathed gambling tax rate on Thursday, as parliamentarians narrowly decided to postpone a vote on the relevant legislation. Earlier this month, a group of 11 Bulgarian MPs proposed a bill that would eliminate the punitive 15% tax on betting turnover in favour of a more reasonable 20% tax on gross profits. The existing tax scheme has not surprisingly failed to convince international operators to form a queue at the Bulgarian gambling regulator’s license-issuing window, with Malta’s efbet.com the only Bulgarian-authorized online gambling site to date.
The Bulgarian authorities have responded to this snub by instituting a blacklist of Bulgarian-facing websites that currently contains over 150 domains. Yordan Tsonev, member of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party and one of the 11 MPs who proposed the tax relief, claims that over 40 operators have declared their willingness to come in from the cold if the proposed tax changes are implemented.
Opponents of the new tax plan say the legislation is flawed, in that it would have operators declare their revenue to the State Commission on Gambling (SCG), rather than the National Revenue Agency. The critics say this will allow operators to fudge their data and thereby deprive the state of tax revenue, as the SCG lacks the authority to verify the data it receives. Members of the Bulgarian Socialist Party – the DPS’ partners in the ruling coalition – also complained that the legislation hadn’t been discussed by the party’s parliamentary group prior to Thursday’s debate. The verbal sparring is scheduled to resume next week.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian blacklist has shrunk by three names, all of which are operated by UK betting outfit William Hill. The SCG expunged the sites – williamhill.com, 21nova.com and joylandcasino.com – after determining that they weren’t doing business with Bulgarian punters.
The Bulgarian authorities have responded to this snub by instituting a blacklist of Bulgarian-facing websites that currently contains over 150 domains. Yordan Tsonev, member of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party and one of the 11 MPs who proposed the tax relief, claims that over 40 operators have declared their willingness to come in from the cold if the proposed tax changes are implemented.
Opponents of the new tax plan say the legislation is flawed, in that it would have operators declare their revenue to the State Commission on Gambling (SCG), rather than the National Revenue Agency. The critics say this will allow operators to fudge their data and thereby deprive the state of tax revenue, as the SCG lacks the authority to verify the data it receives. Members of the Bulgarian Socialist Party – the DPS’ partners in the ruling coalition – also complained that the legislation hadn’t been discussed by the party’s parliamentary group prior to Thursday’s debate. The verbal sparring is scheduled to resume next week.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian blacklist has shrunk by three names, all of which are operated by UK betting outfit William Hill. The SCG expunged the sites – williamhill.com, 21nova.com and joylandcasino.com – after determining that they weren’t doing business with Bulgarian punters.
November 28, 2013
Football match-fixing: referees embroiled in scandal
The alleged match fixer at the centre of the football betting scandal exposed by The Telegraph has also claimed that he can pay referees to manipulate the results of games.
The Singaporean, who was arrested on Tuesday night, was secretly recorded saying that he would pay referees across Europe a fee of £20,000.
It is understood that the claim is also being examined by the National Crime Agency which has launched a major investigation into match fixing.
The man was one of six arrested by the National Crime Agency earlier this week. Three footballers and Delroy Facey, a player-turned-agent who has played in the Premier League, were also arrested.
It can now be disclosed that, as well as claiming he could pay players to fix matches, the Singaporean man also alleged that referees were involved.
“The price for one game is £20,000”, said the fixer. “So I know some referees … You want Europe, anywhere, £20,000”.
It was not clear from the conversation whether any British referees were involved.
The fixer arrived in this country last week and was arrested on Tuesday evening.
In a series of covertly recorded conversations over the past fortnight, he claimed that lower league matches could be fixed for as little as £50,000 and correctly forecast the outcome of three games played by the same team.
It is the first time police have amassed sufficient evidence to hold those suspected of attempting to fix a match in Britain, following a series of similar scandals abroad.
In a statement, the NCA said: "Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing.
"The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association."
The operation is one of the first by the agency, dubbed Britain's FBI, which was launched this year to fight suspected organised and serious crime.
The identities of the teams involved cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, as the police operation is understood to remain active. However, they are not Premiership sides. "This operation remains very live with new developments on an almost daily basis," said one well – placed source.
Nick Clegg has said that the allegations about football match-rigging are “very worrying” and warned that it must be investigated by the authorities.
Mr Clegg told LBC Radio: “It needs to be looked at. Like any person who follows football I’ve read accounts of football match fixing in other countries and thought there by the grace of god go we.
“To hear that it’s now being investigated here, there have been arrests in the Midlands, is very worrying.
“I hope that’s the sum total of it. It would be terrible if we look back in months and years to come and discover this is the tip of [theice-berg].”
The disclosure of the match fixing arrests has led to claims that the problem has now become “endemic” in the global game.
Match-fixing is “endemic” in football, the former head of security for Fifa claimed today after members of an alleged betting syndicate were arrested on suspicion of fixing English games.
Chris Eaton, now director of sport integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security, said it had been “only a matter of time” before the English game was caught up in what he called the “global wave of match-fixing in football.”
He said: "International sport, especially football, is in serious trouble with corruption of its competitions.”
David Davies, the former Football Association, said that English football is not immune to the “disease” of match fixing.
"We are not immune to a disease that has already struck in 60 countries, at least, around the world where match-fixing has been alleged and in some cases been proved", he said.
Mr Davies, who has spent time in the Far East seeing how betting works over there, added: "People are fanatical about betting even in areas where it's illegal.
"The truth is there is all of this unofficial betting, quite a lot of it on the Internet, and they bet on everything and anything."
The suspected match fixers are being held under the bribery and fraud Acts at a police station in the Midlands. It is understood that the Crown Prosecution Service has been liaising with police officers in recent days.
The suggestion that English football games are susceptible to match – fixing will cause serious concern for the Football Association.
In recent years concern has been growing that gangs were targeting matches in the UK. This newspaper was approached by an undercover investigator with links to Fifa, who had been gathering evidence against suspected Asian match fixers offering to operate in Britain.
During a series of undercover meetings in Manchester this month, which were covertly recorded, one of the fixers claimed he could rig games and that potential gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds by using the inside information on Asian – based betting websites.
The fixer, from Singapore, also alleged that he controlled teams in other European countries and could buy foreign referees to secure results.
"In England the cost is very high … usually for the players it is £70,000," he explained in imperfect English.
He offered to target two football matches in Britain this month. He said he planned to tell players how many goals he needed to be scored in total. "I commit myself and they commit. So you tell me how many goals … Give me at least five … either 3–2, 4–0 or zero, … for me four is enough."
He also claimed that he would pay one player an extra £5,000 to take a yellow card at the beginning of the game as a signal that the match's result was likely to be manipulated. During one meeting this month, the fixer correctly predicted how many goals would be scored during a match the following day.
"This is my team", he began, pointing to the club listed on a gambling website. "I know what they're going to do."
He added: "I know because they all tell me every time. Because sometimes I have extra money, I just send them some money … because sometimes they need money or they call me so I just leave them some pocket money."
The fixer asked us for €60,000 [£50,000], which he said was to cover the cost of paying the players.
He claimed to be connected to Wilson Raj Perumal, who has been convicted of rigging football matches abroad. "Wilson Raj Perumal … he's the king … he's my boss. Everybody in the world know him," the fixer said.
Raj Perumal, is also originally from Singapore, but has lived in London. He is understood to be responsible for fixing numerous football matches over the last 30 years, and is helping the Hungarian police to investigate corruption.
Match fixers target players and officials to rig the result of games so that they can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds by betting or allowing others to bet on the predetermined outcome.
The gambling takes place in the Asian market and British betting markets are not believed to have been implicated.
International betting monitors have warned that millions of pounds are being wagered on Conference games and some UK bookmakers stopped taking bets on some teams early this year. It is understood that there are active police investigations into football fixing in more than 60 countries.
An FA spokesman said: "The FA has been made aware of a number of arrests in relation to an NCA investigation. We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The FA will make no further comment at this time due to ongoing investigations."
The Singaporean, who was arrested on Tuesday night, was secretly recorded saying that he would pay referees across Europe a fee of £20,000.
It is understood that the claim is also being examined by the National Crime Agency which has launched a major investigation into match fixing.
The man was one of six arrested by the National Crime Agency earlier this week. Three footballers and Delroy Facey, a player-turned-agent who has played in the Premier League, were also arrested.
It can now be disclosed that, as well as claiming he could pay players to fix matches, the Singaporean man also alleged that referees were involved.
“The price for one game is £20,000”, said the fixer. “So I know some referees … You want Europe, anywhere, £20,000”.
It was not clear from the conversation whether any British referees were involved.
The fixer arrived in this country last week and was arrested on Tuesday evening.
In a series of covertly recorded conversations over the past fortnight, he claimed that lower league matches could be fixed for as little as £50,000 and correctly forecast the outcome of three games played by the same team.
It is the first time police have amassed sufficient evidence to hold those suspected of attempting to fix a match in Britain, following a series of similar scandals abroad.
In a statement, the NCA said: "Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing.
"The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association."
The operation is one of the first by the agency, dubbed Britain's FBI, which was launched this year to fight suspected organised and serious crime.
The identities of the teams involved cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, as the police operation is understood to remain active. However, they are not Premiership sides. "This operation remains very live with new developments on an almost daily basis," said one well – placed source.
Nick Clegg has said that the allegations about football match-rigging are “very worrying” and warned that it must be investigated by the authorities.
Mr Clegg told LBC Radio: “It needs to be looked at. Like any person who follows football I’ve read accounts of football match fixing in other countries and thought there by the grace of god go we.
“To hear that it’s now being investigated here, there have been arrests in the Midlands, is very worrying.
“I hope that’s the sum total of it. It would be terrible if we look back in months and years to come and discover this is the tip of [theice-berg].”
The disclosure of the match fixing arrests has led to claims that the problem has now become “endemic” in the global game.
Match-fixing is “endemic” in football, the former head of security for Fifa claimed today after members of an alleged betting syndicate were arrested on suspicion of fixing English games.
Chris Eaton, now director of sport integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security, said it had been “only a matter of time” before the English game was caught up in what he called the “global wave of match-fixing in football.”
He said: "International sport, especially football, is in serious trouble with corruption of its competitions.”
David Davies, the former Football Association, said that English football is not immune to the “disease” of match fixing.
"We are not immune to a disease that has already struck in 60 countries, at least, around the world where match-fixing has been alleged and in some cases been proved", he said.
Mr Davies, who has spent time in the Far East seeing how betting works over there, added: "People are fanatical about betting even in areas where it's illegal.
"The truth is there is all of this unofficial betting, quite a lot of it on the Internet, and they bet on everything and anything."
The suspected match fixers are being held under the bribery and fraud Acts at a police station in the Midlands. It is understood that the Crown Prosecution Service has been liaising with police officers in recent days.
The suggestion that English football games are susceptible to match – fixing will cause serious concern for the Football Association.
In recent years concern has been growing that gangs were targeting matches in the UK. This newspaper was approached by an undercover investigator with links to Fifa, who had been gathering evidence against suspected Asian match fixers offering to operate in Britain.
During a series of undercover meetings in Manchester this month, which were covertly recorded, one of the fixers claimed he could rig games and that potential gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds by using the inside information on Asian – based betting websites.
The fixer, from Singapore, also alleged that he controlled teams in other European countries and could buy foreign referees to secure results.
"In England the cost is very high … usually for the players it is £70,000," he explained in imperfect English.
He offered to target two football matches in Britain this month. He said he planned to tell players how many goals he needed to be scored in total. "I commit myself and they commit. So you tell me how many goals … Give me at least five … either 3–2, 4–0 or zero, … for me four is enough."
He also claimed that he would pay one player an extra £5,000 to take a yellow card at the beginning of the game as a signal that the match's result was likely to be manipulated. During one meeting this month, the fixer correctly predicted how many goals would be scored during a match the following day.
"This is my team", he began, pointing to the club listed on a gambling website. "I know what they're going to do."
He added: "I know because they all tell me every time. Because sometimes I have extra money, I just send them some money … because sometimes they need money or they call me so I just leave them some pocket money."
The fixer asked us for €60,000 [£50,000], which he said was to cover the cost of paying the players.
He claimed to be connected to Wilson Raj Perumal, who has been convicted of rigging football matches abroad. "Wilson Raj Perumal … he's the king … he's my boss. Everybody in the world know him," the fixer said.
Raj Perumal, is also originally from Singapore, but has lived in London. He is understood to be responsible for fixing numerous football matches over the last 30 years, and is helping the Hungarian police to investigate corruption.
Match fixers target players and officials to rig the result of games so that they can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds by betting or allowing others to bet on the predetermined outcome.
The gambling takes place in the Asian market and British betting markets are not believed to have been implicated.
International betting monitors have warned that millions of pounds are being wagered on Conference games and some UK bookmakers stopped taking bets on some teams early this year. It is understood that there are active police investigations into football fixing in more than 60 countries.
An FA spokesman said: "The FA has been made aware of a number of arrests in relation to an NCA investigation. We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The FA will make no further comment at this time due to ongoing investigations."
Football match-fixing: six arrested by police investigating betting syndicate as rigging hits British game
Members of an alleged betting syndicate have been arrested on suspicion of fixing English football games in the biggest match-rigging scandal for decades, The Telegraph can disclose.
Officers from the National Crime Agency held six men in the past two days, including at least three footballers and Delroy Facey, a player-turned-agent who has played in the Premier League.
One internationally known fixer arrived in this country last week and was arrested on Tuesday evening.
In a series of covertly recorded conversations over the past fortnight, he claimed that lower league matches could be fixed for as little as £50,000 and correctly forecast the outcome of three games played by the same team.
It is the first time in decades that police have amassed sufficient evidence to hold those suspected of trying to fix a match in Britain, following a succession of similar scandals abroad.
On Wednesday evening the agency said: “Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing. The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association.”
The operation is one of the first by the agency, dubbed Britain’s FBI, which was launched this year to fight suspected organised and serious crime.
The identities of the teams involved cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, as the police operation is understood to remain active. However, they are not Premier League sides. “This operation remains very live with new developments on an almost daily basis,” said one well-placed source.
The suspected match fixers are being held under the bribery and fraud Acts at a police station in the Midlands. It is understood that the Crown Prosecution Service has been liaising with police officers in recent days.
The suggestion that English football games are susceptible to match-fixing will cause serious concern for the Football Association, which fiercely defends the integrity of the game.
In recent years fears have been growing that gangs were targeting matches in the UK. This newspaper was approached by an undercover investigator with links to Fifa, who had been gathering evidence against suspected Asian match fixers offering to operate in Britain.
During a series of undercover meetings in Manchester this month, which were covertly recorded, one of the fixers claimed he could rig games and that potential gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds by using the inside information on Asian-based betting websites.
The fixer, from Singapore, also alleged that he controlled teams in other European countries and could buy foreign referees to secure results.
“In England the cost is very high … usually for the players it is £70,000,” he explained in imperfect English.
He offered to target two football matches in Britain this month. He said he planned to tell players how many goals he needed to be scored in total. “So I talk to them. Double confirm. I also tell them, I tell … this [is] what I want … Because simple, I commit myself and they commit. So you tell me how many goals … Give me at least five … either 3-2, 4-0 or zero, … for me four is enough.”
The fixer told the undercover investigator how he typically instructed players. “So, so, the first, first 45 minutes, the result must be two-zero or 1-1. That’s two goal. More than enough for me,” he explained.
“In the second 45 minutes, so two-zero. Total, the whole game must be have four-zero or 3-1 or 2-2. As long as the total.”
He also claimed that he would pay one player an extra £5,000 to take a yellow card at the beginning of the game as a signal that the match’s result was likely to be manipulated. During one meeting this month, the fixer correctly predicted how many goals would be scored during a match the following day.
“This is my team”, he began, pointing to the club listed on a gambling website on his mobile phone. “I know what they’re going to do.”
He added: “I know because they all tell me every time. Because sometimes I have extra money, I just send them some money … because sometimes they need money or they call me so I just leave them some pocket money.”
The fixer asked us for €60,000 [£50,000], which he said was to cover the cost of paying the players.
He claimed to be connected to Wilson Raj Perumal, who has been convicted of rigging football matches abroad. “Wilson Raj Perumal … he’s the king … he’s my boss. Everybody in the world know him,” the fixer said.
Raj Perumal, is also originally from Singapore, but has lived in London. He is understood to be responsible for fixing numerous football matches over the past 30 years, and is helping the Hungarian police to investigate corruption.
Match fixers target players and officials to rig the result of games so that they can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds by betting or allowing others to bet on the predetermined outcome.
The bet will usually be for a minimum number of goals and the fixer will often try to incentivise players to concede goals deliberately and lose a match.
The gambling takes place in Asian markets and British betting markets are not believed to have been implicated.
Concern was already mounting that Asian match fixers were targeting lower league British games. In a recent interview, Chris Eaton, Fifa’s former head of security, said that match fixing had become “endemic” internationally.
Earlier this month, Nick Garlic, a senior official at Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, criticised the Football Association’s commitment to tackling corruption and said he believed match fixers had worked in Britain.
International betting monitors have warned that millions of pounds are being wagered on Conference games and some UK bookmakers stopped taking bets on some teams early this year. Following those warnings, the FA contacted clubs to “remind players and officials of their responsibilities under the rules”.
It is understood that there are active police investigations into football fixing in more than 60 countries.
In September, four Australian players, who used to play for AFC Hornchurch, were arrested after allegedly conceding goals as part of a match-fixing ring.
On Wednesday night, an FA spokesman said: “The FA has been made aware of a number of arrests in relation to an NCA investigation. We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The FA will make no further comment at this time due to ongoing investigations.”
A Gambling Commission spokesman said that the body had “provided advice, intelligence and expertise in supporting this ongoing NCA investigation and continues to liaise with both the NCA and the Football Association”.
Officers from the National Crime Agency held six men in the past two days, including at least three footballers and Delroy Facey, a player-turned-agent who has played in the Premier League.
One internationally known fixer arrived in this country last week and was arrested on Tuesday evening.
In a series of covertly recorded conversations over the past fortnight, he claimed that lower league matches could be fixed for as little as £50,000 and correctly forecast the outcome of three games played by the same team.
It is the first time in decades that police have amassed sufficient evidence to hold those suspected of trying to fix a match in Britain, following a succession of similar scandals abroad.
On Wednesday evening the agency said: “Six men have been arrested across the country as part of an NCA investigation into alleged football match fixing. The focus of the operation is a suspected international illegal betting syndicate. The NCA is working closely with the Gambling Commission and the Football Association.”
The operation is one of the first by the agency, dubbed Britain’s FBI, which was launched this year to fight suspected organised and serious crime.
The identities of the teams involved cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, as the police operation is understood to remain active. However, they are not Premier League sides. “This operation remains very live with new developments on an almost daily basis,” said one well-placed source.
The suspected match fixers are being held under the bribery and fraud Acts at a police station in the Midlands. It is understood that the Crown Prosecution Service has been liaising with police officers in recent days.
The suggestion that English football games are susceptible to match-fixing will cause serious concern for the Football Association, which fiercely defends the integrity of the game.
In recent years fears have been growing that gangs were targeting matches in the UK. This newspaper was approached by an undercover investigator with links to Fifa, who had been gathering evidence against suspected Asian match fixers offering to operate in Britain.
During a series of undercover meetings in Manchester this month, which were covertly recorded, one of the fixers claimed he could rig games and that potential gamblers would make hundreds of thousands of pounds by using the inside information on Asian-based betting websites.
The fixer, from Singapore, also alleged that he controlled teams in other European countries and could buy foreign referees to secure results.
“In England the cost is very high … usually for the players it is £70,000,” he explained in imperfect English.
He offered to target two football matches in Britain this month. He said he planned to tell players how many goals he needed to be scored in total. “So I talk to them. Double confirm. I also tell them, I tell … this [is] what I want … Because simple, I commit myself and they commit. So you tell me how many goals … Give me at least five … either 3-2, 4-0 or zero, … for me four is enough.”
The fixer told the undercover investigator how he typically instructed players. “So, so, the first, first 45 minutes, the result must be two-zero or 1-1. That’s two goal. More than enough for me,” he explained.
“In the second 45 minutes, so two-zero. Total, the whole game must be have four-zero or 3-1 or 2-2. As long as the total.”
He also claimed that he would pay one player an extra £5,000 to take a yellow card at the beginning of the game as a signal that the match’s result was likely to be manipulated. During one meeting this month, the fixer correctly predicted how many goals would be scored during a match the following day.
“This is my team”, he began, pointing to the club listed on a gambling website on his mobile phone. “I know what they’re going to do.”
He added: “I know because they all tell me every time. Because sometimes I have extra money, I just send them some money … because sometimes they need money or they call me so I just leave them some pocket money.”
The fixer asked us for €60,000 [£50,000], which he said was to cover the cost of paying the players.
He claimed to be connected to Wilson Raj Perumal, who has been convicted of rigging football matches abroad. “Wilson Raj Perumal … he’s the king … he’s my boss. Everybody in the world know him,” the fixer said.
Raj Perumal, is also originally from Singapore, but has lived in London. He is understood to be responsible for fixing numerous football matches over the past 30 years, and is helping the Hungarian police to investigate corruption.
Match fixers target players and officials to rig the result of games so that they can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds by betting or allowing others to bet on the predetermined outcome.
The bet will usually be for a minimum number of goals and the fixer will often try to incentivise players to concede goals deliberately and lose a match.
The gambling takes place in Asian markets and British betting markets are not believed to have been implicated.
Concern was already mounting that Asian match fixers were targeting lower league British games. In a recent interview, Chris Eaton, Fifa’s former head of security, said that match fixing had become “endemic” internationally.
Earlier this month, Nick Garlic, a senior official at Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, criticised the Football Association’s commitment to tackling corruption and said he believed match fixers had worked in Britain.
International betting monitors have warned that millions of pounds are being wagered on Conference games and some UK bookmakers stopped taking bets on some teams early this year. Following those warnings, the FA contacted clubs to “remind players and officials of their responsibilities under the rules”.
It is understood that there are active police investigations into football fixing in more than 60 countries.
In September, four Australian players, who used to play for AFC Hornchurch, were arrested after allegedly conceding goals as part of a match-fixing ring.
On Wednesday night, an FA spokesman said: “The FA has been made aware of a number of arrests in relation to an NCA investigation. We have worked closely with the authorities in relation to these allegations. The FA will make no further comment at this time due to ongoing investigations.”
A Gambling Commission spokesman said that the body had “provided advice, intelligence and expertise in supporting this ongoing NCA investigation and continues to liaise with both the NCA and the Football Association”.
November 26, 2013
NJ gives green light to online gambling
New Jersey regulators have given the green light to six of the online gambling operators that took part in the five day trial period and can now go live with real cash games immediately, except for the Golden Nugget that State Gaming Enforcement director David Rebuck says needs to do some more work on the software before they can enter.
All seven of the online operators granted a license took part in the trial period that New began a five-day trial period of online gambling last Thursday. The reason was to test the complex technology involved in the games and determine whether the systems are ready for the entire state to play for real money.
The biggest problem recorded in the trial period was the geolocation software which was registering players outside the state borders when they were actually inside. However regulators believe this to be a minor issue and can be worked out as live gambling takes place.
No timeline for the Golden Nugget has been given and the operator will have to wait until it proves itself before it can enter the online gambling business in the state.
All seven of the online operators granted a license took part in the trial period that New began a five-day trial period of online gambling last Thursday. The reason was to test the complex technology involved in the games and determine whether the systems are ready for the entire state to play for real money.
The biggest problem recorded in the trial period was the geolocation software which was registering players outside the state borders when they were actually inside. However regulators believe this to be a minor issue and can be worked out as live gambling takes place.
No timeline for the Golden Nugget has been given and the operator will have to wait until it proves itself before it can enter the online gambling business in the state.
November 22, 2013
Beckham signs up in Macau
David Beckham has been signed up by Las Vegas Sands in Macau to represent and promote the Casino operators business in Asia focussing on its dining and retail business within their resorts.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England football star attended a press conference in Macau to announce the deal, with it being David Beckham’s first ever visit to Asia’s largest gambling hub. Details of the deal are not really clear following the press conference as Mr Beckham was unable to answer reporter’s questions, but Sands China Chief Executive Officer Edward Tracy wants to use the appeal of the Beckham brand to increase sales in their non-gambling business which currently represents 40% of their total income and believes the impact of the former football star will help the company achieve that.
Earlier this year, the former England captain said he would act as a global ambassador for soccer in the world’s most populous nation, and the China Football Association invited him to promote the game among the youth. With such a well-recognised celebrity as David Beckham with Sands the impact in China would help promote the operator without breaking any laws which restrict direct advertising of gambling in China.
“I miss football but I’m happy that I have something set up and I can just jump into another career as long as I get off the field,” Beckham told reporters in Macau, referring to his company Beckham Ventures as well as work on various brand tie-ups and charities. “I’m glad that there are so many business opportunities presenting in front of me and I can become a businessman now.”
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England football star attended a press conference in Macau to announce the deal, with it being David Beckham’s first ever visit to Asia’s largest gambling hub. Details of the deal are not really clear following the press conference as Mr Beckham was unable to answer reporter’s questions, but Sands China Chief Executive Officer Edward Tracy wants to use the appeal of the Beckham brand to increase sales in their non-gambling business which currently represents 40% of their total income and believes the impact of the former football star will help the company achieve that.
Earlier this year, the former England captain said he would act as a global ambassador for soccer in the world’s most populous nation, and the China Football Association invited him to promote the game among the youth. With such a well-recognised celebrity as David Beckham with Sands the impact in China would help promote the operator without breaking any laws which restrict direct advertising of gambling in China.
“I miss football but I’m happy that I have something set up and I can just jump into another career as long as I get off the field,” Beckham told reporters in Macau, referring to his company Beckham Ventures as well as work on various brand tie-ups and charities. “I’m glad that there are so many business opportunities presenting in front of me and I can become a businessman now.”
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