French police have questioned another batch of tennis players in a growing investigation into a match-fixing syndicate suspected of paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix low-level matches, judicial officials said Thursday.
Seven French players were taken into custody this week and later released, taking the total number questioned in France so far to 17, the officials said. An initial batch of four players was first questioned in January . The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren't authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.
The probe is being led by authorities in Belgium, where the syndicate's suspected ringleader, an Armenian, is based. Belgian authorities say Grigor Sargsyan remains in custody in his home, monitored with an electronic bracelet.
Investigators say corrupted players bought off by the fixers knew Sargsyan as "Maestro". The massive scheme, organized via encrypted messaging and involving dozens of low-ranked players in small tournaments with little prize money, is believed to have spread tentacles to more than a half-dozen countries, including the United States. Belgian authorities say they've requested assistance from the FBI, as well as counterparts in Egypt, Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Germany.
This week's additional detentions were first reported Thursday by French sports daily L'Equipe. Officials didn't identify the players.
A Belgian investigator said five of the French players questioned so far have admitted to taking money from the syndicate to fix matches, and that one player believed to have fixed about two dozen matches confessed to police that he pocketed 30,000 euros ($ 34,000).
The probe has grown far bigger than Belgian authorities initially expected when they first swept up Sargsyan and others in a wave of arrests in June. He faces organized crime, match-fixing, money laundering and forgery charges.
The number of players suspected of involvement continues to grow. Belgian investigators, who have been pouring through phone records and other evidence, believe they have now identified 137 players suspected of fixing or attempted fixing. The syndicate allegedly paid 500 to 3,000 euros ($570 to $3,400) for fixed matches, sets or games. Police say the syndicate employed mules, people hired for a few dollars to place bets on fixed matches that were small enough to slip under the radar of gambling watchdogs.
The Belgian investigator said evidence collected so far suggests the syndicate knew other match-fixers in Spain but they weren't working together. Another investigator said several players who took money from the syndicate told the French police during questioning that they did so because prize monies at low-level tournaments are too small to pay their expenses.
Players told the police that they often saw the so-called Maestro at such tournaments, working to recruit other accomplices, and they described him as friendly and non-threatening, the investigator said.
So far, France has the biggest number of players questioned in the probe. The first four were named by investigators as Jules Okala, 21; Mick Lescure, 25; Yannick Thivant, 32; and Jerome Inzerillo, 29. None operated in the highest spheres of tennis. The career-best singles ranking of any of them was 354, reached by Inzerillo in 2012.
L'Equipe said it interviewed Inzerillo, accompanied by his lawyer, this week and that he told the newspaper that he had never been approached to fix a match.
Showing posts with label Tennis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennis. Show all posts
March 21, 2019
May 16, 2017
Japanese tennis player banned for life over match-fixing charge
Japanese tennis player Junn Mitsuhashi has been banned for life for match-fixing and gambling offences.
The 25-year-old, who reached a career high of 295 in the world in 2009, has also been fined $50,000 (£39,000/€45,000) by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).
He has been found guilty of making corrupt approaches to other players, betting on tennis matches and refusing to cooperate with the TIU investigation.
In November 2015, he asked Joshua Chetty, a player he had previously coached, to approach another player during an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures F1 tournament in Stellenbosch in South Africa.
The player was offered $2,000 (£1,500/€1,800) to under-perform in a singles match and $600 (£465/€543) for a doubles match, the TIU said.
South Africa's Chetty was himself banned for life in September.
Mitsuhashi then made an approach to another player in December 2015, according to the TIU.
This took place at an ITF Futures F4 tournament in Lagos in Nigeria, with the player asked to fix certain aspects of a match.
The Japanese player, who was ranked 1,997 in the world at the end of 2015, was also found to have bet on 76 tennis matches.
"In spite of repeated requests to engage with the TIU, the player refused to respond or co-operate with enquiries into the allegations against him," a TIU statement said.
"Failing to cooperate is an offence in its own right."
Mitsuhashi will not be allowed to play in any tournaments organised by the governing bodies of the sport or even attend the venues.
His case was considered by independent anti-corruption hearing officer Ian Mill QC, who imposed the lifetime ban and fine.
Tennis has faced significant match-fixing problems, particularly at levels where prize money is low.
It was the sport involved in 45 per cent of reported cases of suspicious betting during the first quarter of 2017, according to the European Sport Security Association.
In March, ITF President David Haggerty announced plans for tours with a limit of 750 male and 750 female players.
It is thought that around 14,000 are currently competing among the full-time ranks, with nearly half of these failing to win any prize money.
This, it is thought, can cause some players to be tempted by corruption.
The 25-year-old, who reached a career high of 295 in the world in 2009, has also been fined $50,000 (£39,000/€45,000) by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU).
In November 2015, he asked Joshua Chetty, a player he had previously coached, to approach another player during an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures F1 tournament in Stellenbosch in South Africa.
The player was offered $2,000 (£1,500/€1,800) to under-perform in a singles match and $600 (£465/€543) for a doubles match, the TIU said.
South Africa's Chetty was himself banned for life in September.
Mitsuhashi then made an approach to another player in December 2015, according to the TIU.
This took place at an ITF Futures F4 tournament in Lagos in Nigeria, with the player asked to fix certain aspects of a match.
The Japanese player, who was ranked 1,997 in the world at the end of 2015, was also found to have bet on 76 tennis matches.
"In spite of repeated requests to engage with the TIU, the player refused to respond or co-operate with enquiries into the allegations against him," a TIU statement said.
"Failing to cooperate is an offence in its own right."
Mitsuhashi will not be allowed to play in any tournaments organised by the governing bodies of the sport or even attend the venues.
His case was considered by independent anti-corruption hearing officer Ian Mill QC, who imposed the lifetime ban and fine.
Tennis has faced significant match-fixing problems, particularly at levels where prize money is low.
It was the sport involved in 45 per cent of reported cases of suspicious betting during the first quarter of 2017, according to the European Sport Security Association.
In March, ITF President David Haggerty announced plans for tours with a limit of 750 male and 750 female players.
It is thought that around 14,000 are currently competing among the full-time ranks, with nearly half of these failing to win any prize money.
This, it is thought, can cause some players to be tempted by corruption.
March 15, 2016
Italian prosecutor wants top tennis players investigated for match-fixing
An Italian prosecutor has called for more than two dozen top tennis players to be investigated by the Tennis Integrity Unit for possible links to betting rings.
Roberto Di Martino has told the BBC that tennis authorities should be doing more with evidence he has gathered concerning at least two players who have ranked in the world’s top 20.
The Italians Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali are the only professionals to be investigated and charged thus far but Di Martino has called for others to be scrutinised by the TIU.
Speaking to the BBC the Cremona-based prosecutor said: “Surely if these foreign players were Italian, they would certainly have been at least questioned.”
Di Martino claimed that more than 24 non-Italian players had been mentioned by gamblers in recordings of phone calls and internet chat logs acquired through his investigation.
“Interestingly, they are not so-called second-tier tennis players, but also players of some importance,” he said.
Starace and Bracciali have been accused of conspiring to fix matches and are due to appear in court in May. They both deny charges of conspiracy to commit sporting fraud.
Roberto Di Martino has told the BBC that tennis authorities should be doing more with evidence he has gathered concerning at least two players who have ranked in the world’s top 20.
The Italians Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali are the only professionals to be investigated and charged thus far but Di Martino has called for others to be scrutinised by the TIU.
Speaking to the BBC the Cremona-based prosecutor said: “Surely if these foreign players were Italian, they would certainly have been at least questioned.”
Di Martino claimed that more than 24 non-Italian players had been mentioned by gamblers in recordings of phone calls and internet chat logs acquired through his investigation.
“Interestingly, they are not so-called second-tier tennis players, but also players of some importance,” he said.
Starace and Bracciali have been accused of conspiring to fix matches and are due to appear in court in May. They both deny charges of conspiracy to commit sporting fraud.
February 12, 2016
Tennis under the scanner again: Two umpires banned for gambling, but ITF kept it secret, reveals report
Controversy seems to be stalking tennis like a shadow. In a latest blow to the beleaguered sport still grappling with allegations of widespread match-fixing, a report on Tuesday in Guardian newspaper claimed two international tennis umpires have been secretly banned while four others may be thrown out of the sport for life on charges of serious corruption.
According to the report, betting syndicates allegedly bribed umpires from Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine in exchange for manipulating live scores on ITF’s Futures Tour which then allowed gamblers to place neat little bets since they were already sure of the outcome of the next point.
Kazakhstan’s Kirill Parfenov was banned for life in February last year while Croatia’s Denis Pitner was slapped with a one-year ban last August but both cases were kept under wraps.
Parfenov, the Kazakh official, reportedly tried to manipulate the scoring of matches by getting in touch with contacts through Facebook while the Croatian frequently logged on to a betting account from which bets were placed on tennis matches, according to the report.
Details of the probe and the resultant penal action were never released in public domain. The tennis authorities preferred to alert only a small number of tournament directors and national federations, said the report.
The development brings renewed focus about the extent of corruption in tennis and raises fresh concerns about lack of transparency in the governing body.
The sport was thrown into turmoil during the Australian Open this year when world No.1 Novak Djokovic made a stunning revelation that he was approached to fix a match earlier in his career.
Talking to reporters in Melbourne on 19 January, Djokovic said: “I was not approached directly. I was approached through people that were working with me at that time… Of course, we threw it away right away. It didn’t even get to me, the guy that was trying to talk to me, didn't even get to me directly. There was nothing out of it.
“Unfortunately in those times (there were) rumours, some talks, some people were going around. They were dealt with.
“In the last six, seven years, I haven’t heard anything similar. I personally was never approached directly, so I have nothing more to say about that.”
Djokovic’s comments came after the BBC and BuzzFeed cited “leaked files” to claim that players who had reached top 50 had been repeatedly suspected of fixing matches but had never faced action.
It led to all tennis authorities — the ATP, WTA, ITF and the heads of all four Grand Slams —announcing an independent probe into cases of alleged corruption.
According to the report, betting syndicates allegedly bribed umpires from Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine in exchange for manipulating live scores on ITF’s Futures Tour which then allowed gamblers to place neat little bets since they were already sure of the outcome of the next point.
Kazakhstan’s Kirill Parfenov was banned for life in February last year while Croatia’s Denis Pitner was slapped with a one-year ban last August but both cases were kept under wraps.
Parfenov, the Kazakh official, reportedly tried to manipulate the scoring of matches by getting in touch with contacts through Facebook while the Croatian frequently logged on to a betting account from which bets were placed on tennis matches, according to the report.
Details of the probe and the resultant penal action were never released in public domain. The tennis authorities preferred to alert only a small number of tournament directors and national federations, said the report.
The development brings renewed focus about the extent of corruption in tennis and raises fresh concerns about lack of transparency in the governing body.
The sport was thrown into turmoil during the Australian Open this year when world No.1 Novak Djokovic made a stunning revelation that he was approached to fix a match earlier in his career.
Talking to reporters in Melbourne on 19 January, Djokovic said: “I was not approached directly. I was approached through people that were working with me at that time… Of course, we threw it away right away. It didn’t even get to me, the guy that was trying to talk to me, didn't even get to me directly. There was nothing out of it.
“Unfortunately in those times (there were) rumours, some talks, some people were going around. They were dealt with.
“In the last six, seven years, I haven’t heard anything similar. I personally was never approached directly, so I have nothing more to say about that.”
Djokovic’s comments came after the BBC and BuzzFeed cited “leaked files” to claim that players who had reached top 50 had been repeatedly suspected of fixing matches but had never faced action.
It led to all tennis authorities — the ATP, WTA, ITF and the heads of all four Grand Slams —announcing an independent probe into cases of alleged corruption.
January 18, 2016
Tennis match fixing: Evidence of suspected match-fixing revealed
Secret files exposing evidence of widespread suspected match-fixing at the top level of world tennis, including at Wimbledon, can be revealed by the BBC and BuzzFeed News.
Over the last decade, 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches.
All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing.
The TIU- set up to police the sport - said it had a zero-tolerance approach to betting-related corruption.
Chris Kermode, who heads the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the body that governs world tennis, rejected claims evidence of match-fixing had "been suppressed for any reason or isn't being thoroughly investigated".
But he added: "While the BBC and BuzzFeed reports mainly refer to events from about 10 years ago, we will investigate any new information."
The cache of documents passed to the BBC and Buzzfeed News include the findings of an investigation set up in 2007 by the ATP.
Its job was to look into suspicious betting activity after a game involving Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello.
Both players were cleared of violating any rules, but the investigation developed into a much wider enquiry looking into a web of gamblers linked to top-level players.
The documents we have obtained show the enquiry found betting syndicates in Russia, northern Italy and Sicily making hundreds of thousands of pounds betting on matches investigators thought to be fixed. Three of these matches were at Wimbledon.
In a confidential report for the tennis authorities in 2008, the enquiry team said 28 players involved in these matches should be investigated, but the findings were never followed up.
Tennis introduced a new anti-corruption code in 2009 but after taking legal advice were told previous corruption offences could not be pursued.
"As a result, no new investigations into any of the players who were mentioned in the 2008 report were opened," a TIU spokesman said.
In subsequent years, there were repeated alerts sent to the TIU about a third of these players. None of them was disciplined by the TIU.
A group of whistle blowers inside tennis, who want to remain anonymous, recently passed the documents on to the BBC and Buzzfeed News.
We contacted Mark Phillips, one of the betting investigators in the 2007 enquiry, who told the BBC that they discovered repeated suspicious betting activity about a clear group.
"There was a core of about 10 players who we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem," he said.
He has never spoken publicly about the material he gathered, which he said was as powerful as any he had seen in over 20 years as a betting investigator.
"The evidence was really strong," he added. "There appeared to be a really good chance to nip it in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the main bad apples."
The BBC and Buzzfeed were also passed the names of other current players the TIU have repeatedly been warned about by betting organisations, sports integrity units and professional gamblers.
Many of these players have been on the radar of the tennis authorities for involvement in suspicious matches going back to 2003.
The BBC and Buzzfeed News have decided not to name the players because, without access to their phone, bank and computer records, it is not possible to determine whether they may have been personally taking part in match fixing.
However, tennis' integrity unit does have the power to demand all this evidence from any professional tennis player.
"There is an element of actually keeping things under wraps," said Benn Gunn, a former police chief constable who conducted a major review of betting in tennis that led to the creation of the Tennis Integrity Unit.
It's the first time he has publicly spoken about his concerns.
"If they were really serious about dealing with this, then they really need to create an integrity unit with teeth," he said.
The European Sports Security Association, which monitors betting for leading bookmakers, flagged up more than 50 suspicious matches to the TIU in 2015.
The organisation declared that tennis attracts more suspicious gambling activity than other sport.
While he welcomed the support of the betting industry, Nigel Willerton, director of the TIU, said "it is not the role of betting companies to make judgements about corrupt activity".
He added: "All credible information received by the TIU is analysed, assessed, and investigated by highly experienced former law-enforcement investigators."
The problem of suspicious betting and match-fixing is not going away.
Eight of the players repeatedly flagged to the TIU over the past decade are due to play in the Australian Open which starts on Monday 18 January.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller:
"The TIU has a full-time staff of just five and relies on intelligence from players and betting companies to alert them to potential corruption. They have a presence at between 20 and 30 tournaments a year, and their investigations over the past two years have resulted in seven players and one official being banned for between six months and a lifetime.
"Only one of those players has ever reached the top 200, and there are clearly temptations for lower-ranked professionals. Players outside the top 200 are unlikely to earn much more than £40,000 in prize money each year, and that is before coaching, travel and hotel expenses are taken into account.
"It is highly debatable whether enough resources are directed towards the TIU, and another potential flaw is that representatives from the sport's four governing bodies decide whether the evidence gathered is strong enough to be presented to an independent hearing. Professional Tennis Integrity Officers from the ITF, ATP, WTA and the Grand Slams make that call, and as a result the process is not as transparent as it should be."
Over the last decade, 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches.
All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing.
The TIU- set up to police the sport - said it had a zero-tolerance approach to betting-related corruption.
Chris Kermode, who heads the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the body that governs world tennis, rejected claims evidence of match-fixing had "been suppressed for any reason or isn't being thoroughly investigated".
But he added: "While the BBC and BuzzFeed reports mainly refer to events from about 10 years ago, we will investigate any new information."
The cache of documents passed to the BBC and Buzzfeed News include the findings of an investigation set up in 2007 by the ATP.
Its job was to look into suspicious betting activity after a game involving Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello.
Both players were cleared of violating any rules, but the investigation developed into a much wider enquiry looking into a web of gamblers linked to top-level players.
The documents we have obtained show the enquiry found betting syndicates in Russia, northern Italy and Sicily making hundreds of thousands of pounds betting on matches investigators thought to be fixed. Three of these matches were at Wimbledon.
In a confidential report for the tennis authorities in 2008, the enquiry team said 28 players involved in these matches should be investigated, but the findings were never followed up.
Tennis introduced a new anti-corruption code in 2009 but after taking legal advice were told previous corruption offences could not be pursued.
"As a result, no new investigations into any of the players who were mentioned in the 2008 report were opened," a TIU spokesman said.
In subsequent years, there were repeated alerts sent to the TIU about a third of these players. None of them was disciplined by the TIU.
A group of whistle blowers inside tennis, who want to remain anonymous, recently passed the documents on to the BBC and Buzzfeed News.
We contacted Mark Phillips, one of the betting investigators in the 2007 enquiry, who told the BBC that they discovered repeated suspicious betting activity about a clear group.
"There was a core of about 10 players who we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem," he said.
He has never spoken publicly about the material he gathered, which he said was as powerful as any he had seen in over 20 years as a betting investigator.
"The evidence was really strong," he added. "There appeared to be a really good chance to nip it in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the main bad apples."
The BBC and Buzzfeed were also passed the names of other current players the TIU have repeatedly been warned about by betting organisations, sports integrity units and professional gamblers.
Many of these players have been on the radar of the tennis authorities for involvement in suspicious matches going back to 2003.
The BBC and Buzzfeed News have decided not to name the players because, without access to their phone, bank and computer records, it is not possible to determine whether they may have been personally taking part in match fixing.
However, tennis' integrity unit does have the power to demand all this evidence from any professional tennis player.
"There is an element of actually keeping things under wraps," said Benn Gunn, a former police chief constable who conducted a major review of betting in tennis that led to the creation of the Tennis Integrity Unit.
It's the first time he has publicly spoken about his concerns.
"If they were really serious about dealing with this, then they really need to create an integrity unit with teeth," he said.
The European Sports Security Association, which monitors betting for leading bookmakers, flagged up more than 50 suspicious matches to the TIU in 2015.
The organisation declared that tennis attracts more suspicious gambling activity than other sport.
While he welcomed the support of the betting industry, Nigel Willerton, director of the TIU, said "it is not the role of betting companies to make judgements about corrupt activity".
He added: "All credible information received by the TIU is analysed, assessed, and investigated by highly experienced former law-enforcement investigators."
The problem of suspicious betting and match-fixing is not going away.
Eight of the players repeatedly flagged to the TIU over the past decade are due to play in the Australian Open which starts on Monday 18 January.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller:
"The TIU has a full-time staff of just five and relies on intelligence from players and betting companies to alert them to potential corruption. They have a presence at between 20 and 30 tournaments a year, and their investigations over the past two years have resulted in seven players and one official being banned for between six months and a lifetime.
"Only one of those players has ever reached the top 200, and there are clearly temptations for lower-ranked professionals. Players outside the top 200 are unlikely to earn much more than £40,000 in prize money each year, and that is before coaching, travel and hotel expenses are taken into account.
"It is highly debatable whether enough resources are directed towards the TIU, and another potential flaw is that representatives from the sport's four governing bodies decide whether the evidence gathered is strong enough to be presented to an independent hearing. Professional Tennis Integrity Officers from the ITF, ATP, WTA and the Grand Slams make that call, and as a result the process is not as transparent as it should be."
January 22, 2014
Tennis arrest at company set up by former Betfair staff
Sporting Data, the company embroiled in the "courtsiding" affair at the Australian Open tennis tournament, used the betting exchange to make its wagers.
The company at the centre of the “courtsiding” affair at the Australian Open tennis tournament was set up by three former Betfair staff, who used the betting exchange to place their bets.
Steven High, Martin Pendlebury and Simon Allen are the three directors of Sporting Data, a company that has shot to prominence in Australia after one of its analysts was arrested courtside at the Open a week ago and charged with “engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome”.
Daniel Dobson, 22, was found to have an electronic device sewn into his shorts and linked to a mobile phone that allowed him to relay back the scores to Sporting Data – enabling the company and its clients to exploit a time lag of up to 10 seconds between real-time play and broadcast pictures.
Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Sporting Data’s chief executive Mr High said the company had bet £74,346 on the match between Nick Kyrgios and Benjamin Becker at Melbourne’s Rod Laver arena. It made 148 bets on Betfair, whose exchange acts as a middle man to match punters who want to place or lay a wager.
While the exchange does not allow in-play betting on individual points, the information from Mr Dobson theoretically allowed Sporting Data and its clients to gamble on the result of a game, knowing the outcome before those who accepted the wagers.
Mr High, who spent almost seven years at Betfair as senior product manager, said he was “shocked that the police got involved”, adding he was “strongly of the opinion” that Mr Dobson’s conduct was “not illegal” – even under the state of Victoria’s new gambling laws.
In a statement on its website, Sporting Data said “the bets are all determined by the individuals in London and not by the employees on court”, adding: “We have no interest in corrupting the outcome of a match.”
The company makes most of its bets via exchanges because traditional bookmakers subscribe to the ENetPulse service. That takes the score entered by the umpire after each point and is ahead of the broadcast pictures.
Betfair sources said the exchange also uses ENetPulse and relays “this to customers on our website”, though many punters rely on the television pictures.
Mr Pendlebury is a former sportsbook team manager at Betfair, while Mr Allen was a former software engineer at the company.
Curiously, despite a real tennis advantage, Mr High said Sporting Data lost £2,763 on the Kyrgios-Becker match.
The company at the centre of the “courtsiding” affair at the Australian Open tennis tournament was set up by three former Betfair staff, who used the betting exchange to place their bets.
Steven High, Martin Pendlebury and Simon Allen are the three directors of Sporting Data, a company that has shot to prominence in Australia after one of its analysts was arrested courtside at the Open a week ago and charged with “engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome”.
Daniel Dobson, 22, was found to have an electronic device sewn into his shorts and linked to a mobile phone that allowed him to relay back the scores to Sporting Data – enabling the company and its clients to exploit a time lag of up to 10 seconds between real-time play and broadcast pictures.
Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Sporting Data’s chief executive Mr High said the company had bet £74,346 on the match between Nick Kyrgios and Benjamin Becker at Melbourne’s Rod Laver arena. It made 148 bets on Betfair, whose exchange acts as a middle man to match punters who want to place or lay a wager.
While the exchange does not allow in-play betting on individual points, the information from Mr Dobson theoretically allowed Sporting Data and its clients to gamble on the result of a game, knowing the outcome before those who accepted the wagers.
Mr High, who spent almost seven years at Betfair as senior product manager, said he was “shocked that the police got involved”, adding he was “strongly of the opinion” that Mr Dobson’s conduct was “not illegal” – even under the state of Victoria’s new gambling laws.
In a statement on its website, Sporting Data said “the bets are all determined by the individuals in London and not by the employees on court”, adding: “We have no interest in corrupting the outcome of a match.”
The company makes most of its bets via exchanges because traditional bookmakers subscribe to the ENetPulse service. That takes the score entered by the umpire after each point and is ahead of the broadcast pictures.
Betfair sources said the exchange also uses ENetPulse and relays “this to customers on our website”, though many punters rely on the television pictures.
Mr Pendlebury is a former sportsbook team manager at Betfair, while Mr Allen was a former software engineer at the company.
Curiously, despite a real tennis advantage, Mr High said Sporting Data lost £2,763 on the Kyrgios-Becker match.
June 06, 2013
Why sports gamblers target tennis players on Twitter
It had been a very good spring for Alex Kuznetsov. The former junior tennis standout, now 26 years old, had stagnated outside the top 200 in the rankings. In April, as a result, he faced the indignity of having to qualify to gain entry into the Sarasota, Fla., event on the minor-league Challenger circuit. Improbably, Kuznetsov won that tournament and then reached the quarterfinals in subsequent Challenger events in Savannah, Ga., and Tallahassee, Fla.. Those strong performances improved his ranking from No. 271 to No. 171 and earned the American a wild card into the French Open—just the fifth time he’d gained passage to the main draw of a Grand Slam.
Kuznetsov’s run ended in the first round in Paris, as he fell to French wild card Lucas Pouille in straight sets. A few hours after the disappointing loss, Kuznetsov received a tweet with an impolite rhetorical question:
Sixteen minutes later, another tweet arrived, this time from an account with the description: "It's constructive criticism, nothing personal."
It’s no secret that Twitter can be a cruel place. But why pick on a guy who’s ranked No. 171 in the world and who overachieved by even making it to the French Open?
Social media vitriol is easier to understand in a team sport, where fans have a lot invested in the outcome. It’s not shocking to hear that Quincy Pondexter was told he was “the definition of trash” after missing crucial free throws in the playoffs, or that the Redskins’ Graham Gano would get a lot of heat after botching a big kick.
In the case of Alex Kuznetsov, it’s possible that these trolls were just, well, trolling—the Twitter user Clock Counter has also taken the time to assail various point guards and baseball pitchers. But the most plausible explanation for the attacks leveled at Kuznetsov and his little-known tennis-playing ilk is that there’s money on the line. Oddsmakers had made Kuznetsov a marginal favorite against Lucas Pouille. When he lost, he faced the wrath of those who had bet on him. While not all insulting post-defeat tweets mention gambling directly, tennis players believe that’s typically the motivation.
"I just automatically assume that they're gamblers," says No. 210 Peter Polansky, a friend of Kuznetsov who says he also gets his share of angry messages. "Only that one time did someone say that—'You owe me money.' " (I sent messages to the accounts of all the Twitter users cited in this article. I have yet to hear back from any of them.)
Polansky says most of the messages appear to come from Eastern Europe or Latin America and that he also occasionally gets threatened through his Facebook account. "Some guy messaged me on Facebook, and he was just like, 'You suck, how can you lose to Tennys Sandgren at home?' " recalled Polansky, referring to a message he received after losing in the finals of a small tournament in his Canadian hometown. The message continued, in Polansky’s recollection: "You're a shit tennis player, and come to my city in Croatia, I'll kill you."
In countries where online sports betting is rampant and legal, tennis is one of the most attractive sports to bet on. There are always matches being played, and none of them will end in a draw. Not only can you bet on who will win and by what score, but also who’ll take the next set, the next game—even the next point. While a lot more cash gets bet on big matches and big events, it’s also possible to gamble on Futures events. That’s the tennis equivalent of single-A baseball, where the difference in earnings between a first-round winner and loser can be as low as $68 ($172 to $104).
The combination of pervasive online gambling and social media means that a losing bettor no longer has to be content to scream at the television, annoying just those within earshot. Now, it’s easy enough to type an athlete’s name into Twitter and send your anger to the vibrating pocket of the offender, no matter where he or she is in the world, no matter how famous he or she is.
Kuznetsov, who because of his ranking rarely plays on the main tour—and is rarely favored even on the Challenger tour—could only recall one previous case of Twitter abuse before his loss in Paris. "They've been nice to me so far," he says. For Tim Smyczek, who’s ranked No. 115 and is more often favored to win matches, abuse has been more common. Smyczek, a Milwaukee native who lost in his first match in the French Open qualifying draw, occasionally quotes and comments on the tweets he receives.
Smyczek says most of the players he knows on the Challenger circuit are, like him, able to laugh about this stuff. "I don't know of anybody that really takes it seriously, which is good, because they say some pretty horrible stuff sometimes," says Smyczek. "And if you did take it seriously, it'd be easy to really be hurt by it. But you just gotta take it for what it is—it's probably somebody who lost money that they didn't have to lose, and you know, they're upset. It's almost, if you think about it, it's almost kind of flattering that somebody would think you're a sure thing—‘I'm gonna lay money down on you, and there's no way I lose.' You can take the positives out of it."
There have, though, been several instances of players, both male and female, pleading for the tweets and Facebook messages to stop. That includes Rebecca Marino, a 22-year-old Canadian who retired from the sport in February as she battled with clinical depression and suicidal thoughts that she said were sometimes worsened by the death threats she received from gamblers.
"The Internet definitely scares me," Marino told me earlier this year. "And it also makes me really sad that, you know, people can sometimes take things too far, and they don't really fully grasp the effects of words."
Obscure though these players may be, their results have swung untold millions of dollars in wins and losses for bettors, far more than the prize money they play for. Smyczek says a former Scotland Yard detective now working with the International Tennis Federation's Tennis Integrity Unit once told him that a first-round match he’d played at the Indian Wells ATP tournament generated more than $1.5 million in wagers on one betting site alone, with likely millions more on other sites.
While Indian Wells is one of the biggest tournaments on the tour calendar, Smyczek expressed disbelief that people are betting on his matches at all, especially on Challengers that sometimes have fewer than 10 people in the stands. "I've had to try my best to kind of bite my tongue a couple times, because I've gotten messages after Challenger doubles matches," says Smyczek, laughing. "And what kind of—who bets on that sort of thing?"
Higher-ranked players who lose in upsets get irate messages, too. After her third-round loss at the French Open, Petra Kvitova fielded missives from a guy who lost a bet and some fellow who called her “an amateur mentally.” Nicolas Almagro was called “an embarrassment.” Someone else told him to kill himself. But the difference between lesser lights like Kuznetsov and Smyczek and relative stars like Kvitova and Almagro is that the more popular players also get messages of condolence or encouragement after a tough loss. If you’re a top player, kindness has been earned. If you’re closer to the bottom and someone else has paid the price for your loss, cruelty comes free.
Kuznetsov’s run ended in the first round in Paris, as he fell to French wild card Lucas Pouille in straight sets. A few hours after the disappointing loss, Kuznetsov received a tweet with an impolite rhetorical question:
@alexkuznetsov87 are you that hopeless dumbass who lost today against hobby tennis player pouille ?
— Michaelsen (@Michaelsen2) May 28, 2013Sixteen minutes later, another tweet arrived, this time from an account with the description: "It's constructive criticism, nothing personal."
@alexkuznetsov87 Nice loss in the first round today pal. No wonder everyone thinks you are garbage.
— Clock Counter (@ClockCounter) May 28, 2013It’s no secret that Twitter can be a cruel place. But why pick on a guy who’s ranked No. 171 in the world and who overachieved by even making it to the French Open?
Social media vitriol is easier to understand in a team sport, where fans have a lot invested in the outcome. It’s not shocking to hear that Quincy Pondexter was told he was “the definition of trash” after missing crucial free throws in the playoffs, or that the Redskins’ Graham Gano would get a lot of heat after botching a big kick.
In the case of Alex Kuznetsov, it’s possible that these trolls were just, well, trolling—the Twitter user Clock Counter has also taken the time to assail various point guards and baseball pitchers. But the most plausible explanation for the attacks leveled at Kuznetsov and his little-known tennis-playing ilk is that there’s money on the line. Oddsmakers had made Kuznetsov a marginal favorite against Lucas Pouille. When he lost, he faced the wrath of those who had bet on him. While not all insulting post-defeat tweets mention gambling directly, tennis players believe that’s typically the motivation.
"I just automatically assume that they're gamblers," says No. 210 Peter Polansky, a friend of Kuznetsov who says he also gets his share of angry messages. "Only that one time did someone say that—'You owe me money.' " (I sent messages to the accounts of all the Twitter users cited in this article. I have yet to hear back from any of them.)
Polansky says most of the messages appear to come from Eastern Europe or Latin America and that he also occasionally gets threatened through his Facebook account. "Some guy messaged me on Facebook, and he was just like, 'You suck, how can you lose to Tennys Sandgren at home?' " recalled Polansky, referring to a message he received after losing in the finals of a small tournament in his Canadian hometown. The message continued, in Polansky’s recollection: "You're a shit tennis player, and come to my city in Croatia, I'll kill you."
In countries where online sports betting is rampant and legal, tennis is one of the most attractive sports to bet on. There are always matches being played, and none of them will end in a draw. Not only can you bet on who will win and by what score, but also who’ll take the next set, the next game—even the next point. While a lot more cash gets bet on big matches and big events, it’s also possible to gamble on Futures events. That’s the tennis equivalent of single-A baseball, where the difference in earnings between a first-round winner and loser can be as low as $68 ($172 to $104).
The combination of pervasive online gambling and social media means that a losing bettor no longer has to be content to scream at the television, annoying just those within earshot. Now, it’s easy enough to type an athlete’s name into Twitter and send your anger to the vibrating pocket of the offender, no matter where he or she is in the world, no matter how famous he or she is.
Kuznetsov, who because of his ranking rarely plays on the main tour—and is rarely favored even on the Challenger tour—could only recall one previous case of Twitter abuse before his loss in Paris. "They've been nice to me so far," he says. For Tim Smyczek, who’s ranked No. 115 and is more often favored to win matches, abuse has been more common. Smyczek, a Milwaukee native who lost in his first match in the French Open qualifying draw, occasionally quotes and comments on the tweets he receives.
“@dthomson42: @timsmyczek I HAVE NEVER seen a player break and then get broken as much as you. Choker little weasel useless yank.”Thanks!
— Tim Smyczek (@timsmyczek) March 21, 2013“@lukiczh: @timsmyczek wish u all the worst thing in life, a lotrs of injuries...”Thanks dude!
— Tim Smyczek (@timsmyczek) February 16, 2013Smyczek says most of the players he knows on the Challenger circuit are, like him, able to laugh about this stuff. "I don't know of anybody that really takes it seriously, which is good, because they say some pretty horrible stuff sometimes," says Smyczek. "And if you did take it seriously, it'd be easy to really be hurt by it. But you just gotta take it for what it is—it's probably somebody who lost money that they didn't have to lose, and you know, they're upset. It's almost, if you think about it, it's almost kind of flattering that somebody would think you're a sure thing—‘I'm gonna lay money down on you, and there's no way I lose.' You can take the positives out of it."
There have, though, been several instances of players, both male and female, pleading for the tweets and Facebook messages to stop. That includes Rebecca Marino, a 22-year-old Canadian who retired from the sport in February as she battled with clinical depression and suicidal thoughts that she said were sometimes worsened by the death threats she received from gamblers.
"The Internet definitely scares me," Marino told me earlier this year. "And it also makes me really sad that, you know, people can sometimes take things too far, and they don't really fully grasp the effects of words."
Obscure though these players may be, their results have swung untold millions of dollars in wins and losses for bettors, far more than the prize money they play for. Smyczek says a former Scotland Yard detective now working with the International Tennis Federation's Tennis Integrity Unit once told him that a first-round match he’d played at the Indian Wells ATP tournament generated more than $1.5 million in wagers on one betting site alone, with likely millions more on other sites.
While Indian Wells is one of the biggest tournaments on the tour calendar, Smyczek expressed disbelief that people are betting on his matches at all, especially on Challengers that sometimes have fewer than 10 people in the stands. "I've had to try my best to kind of bite my tongue a couple times, because I've gotten messages after Challenger doubles matches," says Smyczek, laughing. "And what kind of—who bets on that sort of thing?"
Higher-ranked players who lose in upsets get irate messages, too. After her third-round loss at the French Open, Petra Kvitova fielded missives from a guy who lost a bet and some fellow who called her “an amateur mentally.” Nicolas Almagro was called “an embarrassment.” Someone else told him to kill himself. But the difference between lesser lights like Kuznetsov and Smyczek and relative stars like Kvitova and Almagro is that the more popular players also get messages of condolence or encouragement after a tough loss. If you’re a top player, kindness has been earned. If you’re closer to the bottom and someone else has paid the price for your loss, cruelty comes free.
June 22, 2012
PokerStars brings in tennis champ as poker ambassador
Online poker operator PokerStars has signed up Spanish tennis icon Rafael Nadal as an ambassador for the brand as the company prepares to make its mark in the newly regulated online poker market in Spain.
Nadal becomes the fourth member of PokerStars’ Team SportStars, which the company acclaims as a “group of elite icons that have brought their competitive nature to the poker world.”
Other members currently include German tennis legend Boris Becker, Dutch field hockey Olympic gold medallist Fatima Moreira De Melo, and Swedish cross-country skiing Olympic gold medal winner Marcus Hellner.
“It’s no secret that I love to compete and try my very best in everything, whether that’s tennis, golf or video games,” said Rafa Nadal. “When I discovered the game of poker, I chose to join PokerStars because they understand what it takes to be the best and associate themselves with the qualities of champions. I’m very happy to be working with them.”
Nadal is an Olympic gold medallist and multiple Grand Slam tennis champion, and recently secured his eleventh grand slam title earlier this month with his seventh victory at the French Open.
PokerStars said that Nadal will play poker in spare moments this summer while he concentrates on his tennis. In the Autumn, he will be able to devote more time to poker and to representing PokerStars in online tournaments, in advertising campaigns and at charity events.
“Rafa Nadal represents all that is great about competition – the mix of talent, intellect, dedication and mental strength that you find in champions in every sport,” said Mark Scheinberg, PokerStars’ chairman of the board. “We are proud to have Rafa as an ambassador for the brand and excited at the opportunity to help him enjoy and improve his game.”
Nadal is expected to play a key role in introducing new players to the game of poker, particularly in Spain where PokerStars was recently granted licence approval (under Reel Spain plc) by Spain's General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling.
Nadal becomes the fourth member of PokerStars’ Team SportStars, which the company acclaims as a “group of elite icons that have brought their competitive nature to the poker world.”
Other members currently include German tennis legend Boris Becker, Dutch field hockey Olympic gold medallist Fatima Moreira De Melo, and Swedish cross-country skiing Olympic gold medal winner Marcus Hellner.
“It’s no secret that I love to compete and try my very best in everything, whether that’s tennis, golf or video games,” said Rafa Nadal. “When I discovered the game of poker, I chose to join PokerStars because they understand what it takes to be the best and associate themselves with the qualities of champions. I’m very happy to be working with them.”
Nadal is an Olympic gold medallist and multiple Grand Slam tennis champion, and recently secured his eleventh grand slam title earlier this month with his seventh victory at the French Open.
PokerStars said that Nadal will play poker in spare moments this summer while he concentrates on his tennis. In the Autumn, he will be able to devote more time to poker and to representing PokerStars in online tournaments, in advertising campaigns and at charity events.
“Rafa Nadal represents all that is great about competition – the mix of talent, intellect, dedication and mental strength that you find in champions in every sport,” said Mark Scheinberg, PokerStars’ chairman of the board. “We are proud to have Rafa as an ambassador for the brand and excited at the opportunity to help him enjoy and improve his game.”
Nadal is expected to play a key role in introducing new players to the game of poker, particularly in Spain where PokerStars was recently granted licence approval (under Reel Spain plc) by Spain's General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling.
June 01, 2011
Austrian tennis player receives life ban for match-fixing
Austrian tennis player Daniel Koellerer has been banned from professional tennis for life and fined US$100,000 after being found guilty of match-fixing by the anti-corruption Tennis Integrity Unit.
Koellerer was found guilty of three charges under Article D of the 2010 Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
The three charges were; contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event; soliciting or facilitating a player not to use his or her best efforts in an event; and soliciting, offering or providing money, benefit or consideration to any other covered person with the intention of negatively influencing a player’s best efforts in any event.
The three violations occurred between October 2009 and July 2010.
The case against him was based on the findings of a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation and considered by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer at a two-day Hearing held in London last month.
The life ban applies with immediate effect, and means that Koellerer, currently ranked 385 in the world but a former world number 55, is not eligible to participate in any tournament or competition organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis.
Last August, Koellerer and his agent Manfred Nareyka were disciplined under the Uniform Anti-Corruption Programme for facilitating betting. A Tennis Integrity Unit investigation found that Koellerer’s personal website carried details of betting odds on tennis matches and provided links to allow users to place bets.
The offence of facilitating betting contravenes Article D1b of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. Both Koellerer and his agent admitted the offences, with Koellerer receiving a €15,000 fine and a three month ban from professional tennis. Both penalties were suspended for two years on the condition that he does not infringe the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme in that period.
Nareyka received a twelve month suspension of credentials and access to any professional tennis events, again suspended for two years.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Committee, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the WTA as part of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme.
Koellerer was found guilty of three charges under Article D of the 2010 Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.
The three charges were; contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event; soliciting or facilitating a player not to use his or her best efforts in an event; and soliciting, offering or providing money, benefit or consideration to any other covered person with the intention of negatively influencing a player’s best efforts in any event.
The three violations occurred between October 2009 and July 2010.
The case against him was based on the findings of a Tennis Integrity Unit investigation and considered by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer at a two-day Hearing held in London last month.
The life ban applies with immediate effect, and means that Koellerer, currently ranked 385 in the world but a former world number 55, is not eligible to participate in any tournament or competition organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of professional tennis.
Last August, Koellerer and his agent Manfred Nareyka were disciplined under the Uniform Anti-Corruption Programme for facilitating betting. A Tennis Integrity Unit investigation found that Koellerer’s personal website carried details of betting odds on tennis matches and provided links to allow users to place bets.
The offence of facilitating betting contravenes Article D1b of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. Both Koellerer and his agent admitted the offences, with Koellerer receiving a €15,000 fine and a three month ban from professional tennis. Both penalties were suspended for two years on the condition that he does not infringe the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme in that period.
Nareyka received a twelve month suspension of credentials and access to any professional tennis events, again suspended for two years.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Committee, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the WTA as part of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme.
March 09, 2010
UK charity may win thousands based on dead man’s bets
A man from Oxfordshire has left his whole estate to charity Oxfam, including a series of betting slips, which could potentially be worth in excess of £330,000.
Nicholas Newlife, who died in 2009, aged 69, left all his possessions to the charity, and Oxfam were delighted when they discovered that amongst the belongings were a series of long-term wagers, totalling £4,420.
The bets relate to both tennis and cricket, were placed with William Hill between 2000 and 2005, and have already, thanks to Roger Federer’s French open victory last year, netted £16,750 for Oxfam.
One of the bets placed by Nicholas was that the Swiss ace would win Wimbledon seven times before 2020, with £1,520 being placed at odds of 66/1. If Federer wins this summer, the charity will be celebrating to the tune of £101,840.
If all the bets turn out to be winners, the charity's windfall would total over £330,000 - enough to provide emergency rations for 46,000 famine victims, or to supply safe drinking water for 350,000 people.
Oxfam’s Cathy Ferrier said of the potential windfall:
"We're enormously grateful to Mr Newlife for his generous gift, and will be keeping a close eye on Wimbledon this year as a result.
"Every time someone leaves us a gift in their will, whether a few pounds or a few thousands pounds, it helps us make a huge difference to thousands of lives around the world.”
And although WilliamHill may have to pay-out a staggering amount of money, company spokesman Graham Sharpe said the firm would be delighted to do so:
"When Nicholas wrote to me nine years ago to place the bets, they were straightforward but potentially valuable.
"When the first wins came in he was still alive, but the next I heard was he had died and left his slips to charity.
"I think he was a bit of a loner but we'd be very pleased for Oxfam if they won."
Nick's wagers:
£250 on Roger Federer to win at least 14 grand slam titles before 2020 at 66/1
£1,000 on Andy Roddick to win at least 7 grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 33/1
£250 on West Indian cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 9,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 250/1
£1520 on Federer to win Wimbledon men's singles at least 7 times before 2020 at 66/1
£1,000 on Andy Roddick to win at least 7 grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 33/1
£750 on Andy Roddick to win at least 10 grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 100/1
£350 on Ramnaresh Sarwan to make over 7,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 50/1
£300 on Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 8,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 100/1
£250 on Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 9,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 250/1
Nicholas Newlife, who died in 2009, aged 69, left all his possessions to the charity, and Oxfam were delighted when they discovered that amongst the belongings were a series of long-term wagers, totalling £4,420.
The bets relate to both tennis and cricket, were placed with William Hill between 2000 and 2005, and have already, thanks to Roger Federer’s French open victory last year, netted £16,750 for Oxfam.
If all the bets turn out to be winners, the charity's windfall would total over £330,000 - enough to provide emergency rations for 46,000 famine victims, or to supply safe drinking water for 350,000 people.
Oxfam’s Cathy Ferrier said of the potential windfall:
"We're enormously grateful to Mr Newlife for his generous gift, and will be keeping a close eye on Wimbledon this year as a result.
"Every time someone leaves us a gift in their will, whether a few pounds or a few thousands pounds, it helps us make a huge difference to thousands of lives around the world.”
And although WilliamHill may have to pay-out a staggering amount of money, company spokesman Graham Sharpe said the firm would be delighted to do so:
"When Nicholas wrote to me nine years ago to place the bets, they were straightforward but potentially valuable.
"When the first wins came in he was still alive, but the next I heard was he had died and left his slips to charity.
"I think he was a bit of a loner but we'd be very pleased for Oxfam if they won."
Nick's wagers:
£250 on Roger Federer to win at least 14 grand slam titles before 2020 at 66/1
£1,000 on Andy Roddick to win at least 7 grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 33/1
£250 on West Indian cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 9,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 250/1
£1520 on Federer to win Wimbledon men's singles at least 7 times before 2020 at 66/1
£1,000 on Andy Roddick to win at least 7 grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 33/1
£750 on Andy Roddick to win at least 10 grand slam singles titles before 2020 at 100/1
£350 on Ramnaresh Sarwan to make over 7,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 50/1
£300 on Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 8,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 100/1
£250 on Ramnaresh Sarwan to make more than 9,000 test match runs by end of 2019 at 250/1
January 14, 2010
Australian Open embraces online gambling
The Australian Open kicks off in a few days, starting on Monday January 18 and lasting for about two weeks. Out of 32 official sponsors that the tournament has picked up this year, one comes from the world of online gambling. The sponsor is Betfair Australia, an internet bookmaker based out of Hobart.
Tennis has had a rough couple of years, and its association with gambling has been carefully watched lately. Just last week, for example, a player on the WTA Tour named Ekaterina Bychkova was approached and asked to throw a match. When officials found out, Bychkova was suspended for 30 days and fined $5,000 just because she didn’t report the incident.
The connection between the Australian Tennis Open and an online sportsbook in Australia is therefore raising some eyebrows. Betfair Australia will be prominently displayed throughout the Open, setting up its own booth and advertising its services. Open officials are being cautious, and have asked Betfair to provide details of all customers who place wagers on tournament matches this year.
The partnership, however, is offering something unique that could have an impact on the relationship between the tennis world and the gambling industry. Betfair Australia has promised to give a portion of every wager placed on the Open to Tennis Australia, a nonprofit federation that puts together the tournaments. The amount of money that Tennis Australia will make from the deal is quite small, but this high-profile commercial link could well suggest to the public that Open officials condone online gambling, or even complicit in online gambling scandals.
On the other hand, since Internet betting in Australia, like all forms of gambling in the country, is socially acceptable, the deal could also work the other way. The fact that Betfair Australia is contributing financially to the Australian Tennis Open may help to heal the bruised relationship between the sport of tennis and the gambling industry in general. As always, only time will tell.
Tennis has had a rough couple of years, and its association with gambling has been carefully watched lately. Just last week, for example, a player on the WTA Tour named Ekaterina Bychkova was approached and asked to throw a match. When officials found out, Bychkova was suspended for 30 days and fined $5,000 just because she didn’t report the incident.
The connection between the Australian Tennis Open and an online sportsbook in Australia is therefore raising some eyebrows. Betfair Australia will be prominently displayed throughout the Open, setting up its own booth and advertising its services. Open officials are being cautious, and have asked Betfair to provide details of all customers who place wagers on tournament matches this year.
The partnership, however, is offering something unique that could have an impact on the relationship between the tennis world and the gambling industry. Betfair Australia has promised to give a portion of every wager placed on the Open to Tennis Australia, a nonprofit federation that puts together the tournaments. The amount of money that Tennis Australia will make from the deal is quite small, but this high-profile commercial link could well suggest to the public that Open officials condone online gambling, or even complicit in online gambling scandals.
On the other hand, since Internet betting in Australia, like all forms of gambling in the country, is socially acceptable, the deal could also work the other way. The fact that Betfair Australia is contributing financially to the Australian Tennis Open may help to heal the bruised relationship between the sport of tennis and the gambling industry in general. As always, only time will tell.
July 21, 2008
Two more players sanctioned for gambling
The Czech Republic's Frantisek Cermak and Slovakia's Michal Mertinak became the latest players to be banned and fined for betting on tennis matches, the ATP said on Monday.
As the governing body of men's tennis continues to crack down on gambling in the sport, the two Eastern European doubles specialists became the first non-Italians to be sanctioned under the ATP's anti-corruption programme.
Cermak, 31, who does not have a singles ranking, was banned for 10 weeks from Monday and fined $15,000, while world number 616 Mertinak received a two-week suspension and a $3000 penalty.
"An ATP investigation launched in November 2007 found that Mr. Cermak had wagered on tennis matches during a period dating from 9 Sept. 2006 through 1 Feb. 2007," the ATP said in a statement.
"The same investigation found that Mr. Mertinak had wagered on tennis matches during October of 2006."
The ATP said neither player had placed bets on their own matches and the independent hearing officer found no evidence of any intent to affect the outcome of any matches wagered upon.
"The ATP's anti-corruption programme is clear that gambling on any form of tennis match will not be tolerated," said Gayle David Bradshaw, ATP's executive vice president, rules and competition.
Five Italians had already been sanctioned since the ATP launched a worldwide investigation almost a year ago.
Alessio di Mauro, Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali, Giorgio Galimberti and Federico Luzzi have been punished for gambling on tennis matches.
Di Mauro was handed the stiffest sentence of nine months and fined $60,000.
Corruption has been high on the ATP's agenda following an investigation last year prompted by irregular betting patterns in a match between Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello in Poland.
Both players deny any involvement but British online betting exchange Betfair voided all bets on the match.
Several players have since said they had turned down offers to throw a match in exchange for money.
The ATP's Anti-Corruption Program prohibits players and their entourage from betting on any form of tennis. (Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Miles Evans)
As the governing body of men's tennis continues to crack down on gambling in the sport, the two Eastern European doubles specialists became the first non-Italians to be sanctioned under the ATP's anti-corruption programme.
Cermak, 31, who does not have a singles ranking, was banned for 10 weeks from Monday and fined $15,000, while world number 616 Mertinak received a two-week suspension and a $3000 penalty.
"An ATP investigation launched in November 2007 found that Mr. Cermak had wagered on tennis matches during a period dating from 9 Sept. 2006 through 1 Feb. 2007," the ATP said in a statement.
"The same investigation found that Mr. Mertinak had wagered on tennis matches during October of 2006."
The ATP said neither player had placed bets on their own matches and the independent hearing officer found no evidence of any intent to affect the outcome of any matches wagered upon.
"The ATP's anti-corruption programme is clear that gambling on any form of tennis match will not be tolerated," said Gayle David Bradshaw, ATP's executive vice president, rules and competition.
Five Italians had already been sanctioned since the ATP launched a worldwide investigation almost a year ago.
Alessio di Mauro, Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali, Giorgio Galimberti and Federico Luzzi have been punished for gambling on tennis matches.
Di Mauro was handed the stiffest sentence of nine months and fined $60,000.
Corruption has been high on the ATP's agenda following an investigation last year prompted by irregular betting patterns in a match between Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello in Poland.
Both players deny any involvement but British online betting exchange Betfair voided all bets on the match.
Several players have since said they had turned down offers to throw a match in exchange for money.
The ATP's Anti-Corruption Program prohibits players and their entourage from betting on any form of tennis. (Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Miles Evans)
March 04, 2008
Luzzi fifth Italian banned for betting on tennis matches
The ATP banned during the weekend Federico Luzzi, the fifth Italian tennis player to be banned for betting on tennis matches. According to the report, Luzzi placed 273 bets on 836 matches between May 2004 and April 2007. Federico Luzzi, who is the world number 139, was fined $50,000 and banned for 200 days. Although Luzzi was not found to have tried to alter the outcome of matches, his behavior was deemed to have been contrary to the ATP's anti-corruption program. ATP also said that the tennis player had placed only one bet on himself - that he would win - for the small amount of $4.50.
Luzzi is now the fifth Italian tennis player to be suspended recently for betting on tennis. Fellow Italians Giorgio Galimberti, Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali and Alessio Di Mauro were also banned for tennis betting. Galimberti was suspended for 100 days and fined $35,000 by the ATP for wagering on matches, although it's not clear if he bet on himself. Starace was suspended in December for six weeks and fined $30,000, Bracciali was banned for three months and fined $20,000, and Di Mauro drew a nine-month suspension in November and fined $60,000. All of the players bet on other players' tennis matches.
Luzzi is now the fifth Italian tennis player to be suspended recently for betting on tennis. Fellow Italians Giorgio Galimberti, Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali and Alessio Di Mauro were also banned for tennis betting. Galimberti was suspended for 100 days and fined $35,000 by the ATP for wagering on matches, although it's not clear if he bet on himself. Starace was suspended in December for six weeks and fined $30,000, Bracciali was banned for three months and fined $20,000, and Di Mauro drew a nine-month suspension in November and fined $60,000. All of the players bet on other players' tennis matches.
February 04, 2008
French Open organizers taking online betting companies to court over gambling
French Open organizers have filed a lawsuit in a bid to ban online gambling companies from offering bets on the Grand Slam tournament.
The complaint filed Friday in courts in Liege in eastern Belgium and in Paris claims that Internet betting companies stain the reputation of the clay-court championship at Roland Garros.
"There is urgency to act because sporting ethic is at risk," Jean-Francois Vilotte, director general of the French tennis federation, told The Associated Press. "It is an issue as important as the fight against doping."
The issue of integrity in tennis came to the fore in August, when an online betting site - Betfair - voided all wagers on a match in Poland between fifth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko and 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello because of irregular betting patterns. Davydenko withdrew from the match in the third set, citing a foot injury.
The French federation is suing three companies - Betfair, Bwin and Ladbrokes - with a court injunction to stop them from taking bets on the French Open. It seeks a fine of C$75,000 a day for any violations, said Vilotte's lawyer, Jean-Louis Dupont.
Dupont said the federation's case is built on two tenets: that the betting companies are tainting the reputation of the French Open and unfairly using the tournament as a way of making money.
If a match-fixing scandal hit the French Open, it would undermine the value of the tournament, which had a 2007 revenue $175 million and attracted 450,000 fans to Roland Garros and a potential 3 billion viewers worldwide, Dupont said.
"Targeting the only betting operator which is completely transparent and, where needed, shares all its betting information with the ITF and ATP would be just plain bizarre," Betfair managing director Mark Davies wrote in an e-mail. "I would be astonished if any sensible regulator wanted to go down this route or believed it could help protect the integrity of its sport when it so obviously does the opposite."
Vienna-based Bwin said it was confident it would be able to stave off the legal challenge.
"We offer a service. To explain what happens, we have to use the name of Roland Garros," Bwin spokesman Antoine Costanzo said. "We don't cause the problem. We warn them there is a problem. We help organizers find those who are guilty."
With soccer and horse racing, tennis is among the most popular sports to bet on.
When Vilotte monitored the ATP Masters Series tournament in Paris, which the French federation also organizes, he said bets over the weeklong event totalled between $750 million and $1.5 billion.
"You can imagine that for Roland Garros, the totals would be much higher," he said.
The federation says the betting companies manage to avoid being stuck with the fallout when there is suspicion of match fixing.
"They purely scrap the bets on the event in question and by doing that generate a scandal that the organization and players have to deal with. It can give them a lifelong ugly reputation," Dupont said.
The ATP opened an investigation into the Davydenko match, interviewing him and his wife and reviewing telephone records. No findings have been announced.
Since the match, several players have come forward to say they have been approached with offers to fix matches.
Late last year, three Italian pros - Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali and Alessio Di Mauro - were suspended for betting on tennis matches involving other players.
According to Betfair and Bwin, attacking the official betting companies would only make the situation worse.
"Targeting EU-licensed companies, which are highly regulated, to leave punters (bettors) betting only with unlicensed operators across the web, would completely miss the point," Davies said.
Bwin agreed.
"We are a legal company quoted on the Vienna exchange," Costanzo said. "The problem is not companies like us, but the black market, which exist in all countries without strict regulation."
The complaint filed Friday in courts in Liege in eastern Belgium and in Paris claims that Internet betting companies stain the reputation of the clay-court championship at Roland Garros.
"There is urgency to act because sporting ethic is at risk," Jean-Francois Vilotte, director general of the French tennis federation, told The Associated Press. "It is an issue as important as the fight against doping."
The issue of integrity in tennis came to the fore in August, when an online betting site - Betfair - voided all wagers on a match in Poland between fifth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko and 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello because of irregular betting patterns. Davydenko withdrew from the match in the third set, citing a foot injury.
The French federation is suing three companies - Betfair, Bwin and Ladbrokes - with a court injunction to stop them from taking bets on the French Open. It seeks a fine of C$75,000 a day for any violations, said Vilotte's lawyer, Jean-Louis Dupont.
Dupont said the federation's case is built on two tenets: that the betting companies are tainting the reputation of the French Open and unfairly using the tournament as a way of making money.
If a match-fixing scandal hit the French Open, it would undermine the value of the tournament, which had a 2007 revenue $175 million and attracted 450,000 fans to Roland Garros and a potential 3 billion viewers worldwide, Dupont said.
"Targeting the only betting operator which is completely transparent and, where needed, shares all its betting information with the ITF and ATP would be just plain bizarre," Betfair managing director Mark Davies wrote in an e-mail. "I would be astonished if any sensible regulator wanted to go down this route or believed it could help protect the integrity of its sport when it so obviously does the opposite."
Vienna-based Bwin said it was confident it would be able to stave off the legal challenge.
"We offer a service. To explain what happens, we have to use the name of Roland Garros," Bwin spokesman Antoine Costanzo said. "We don't cause the problem. We warn them there is a problem. We help organizers find those who are guilty."
With soccer and horse racing, tennis is among the most popular sports to bet on.
When Vilotte monitored the ATP Masters Series tournament in Paris, which the French federation also organizes, he said bets over the weeklong event totalled between $750 million and $1.5 billion.
"You can imagine that for Roland Garros, the totals would be much higher," he said.
The federation says the betting companies manage to avoid being stuck with the fallout when there is suspicion of match fixing.
"They purely scrap the bets on the event in question and by doing that generate a scandal that the organization and players have to deal with. It can give them a lifelong ugly reputation," Dupont said.
The ATP opened an investigation into the Davydenko match, interviewing him and his wife and reviewing telephone records. No findings have been announced.
Since the match, several players have come forward to say they have been approached with offers to fix matches.
Late last year, three Italian pros - Potito Starace, Daniele Bracciali and Alessio Di Mauro - were suspended for betting on tennis matches involving other players.
According to Betfair and Bwin, attacking the official betting companies would only make the situation worse.
"Targeting EU-licensed companies, which are highly regulated, to leave punters (bettors) betting only with unlicensed operators across the web, would completely miss the point," Davies said.
Bwin agreed.
"We are a legal company quoted on the Vienna exchange," Costanzo said. "The problem is not companies like us, but the black market, which exist in all countries without strict regulation."
November 29, 2007
Boris Becker will be the new face of PokerStars
Tennis legend Boris Becker will be the new face of PokerStars. The three times grand slam event winner will represent the poker site during live events and online tournaments and will star in a new TV advertising campaign for the company. Becker will take part in a training programme to improve his poker skills and will then compete in PokerStars’ European Poker Tour events in Dortmund in late January and Monte Carlo in April next year. Tamar Yaniv, director of marketing EMEA at PokerStars, said: “Boris Becker is a world-class sportsman who became famous for his competitive spirit and aggressive, entertaining playing style, so we’re delighted that he has become an ambassador for PokerStars.”
October 30, 2007
Clement 'asked to throw a match'
Former top 10 tennis player Arnaud Clement said today that he had been offered money to throw a match.
"It happened to me but I will not tell you where or how," Clement, the 2001 Australian Open runner up, said after his first-round defeat by Mikhail Youzhny at the BNP Paribas Masters Paris.
"I didn't hesitate for a second, I said no.
"It may be different for a guy who's not that high up in the rankings and who has financial problems.
"It's very serious.
"I can't imagine that a top 10 player could accept that, but it's hard to imagine as well that guys go to tournaments to make such offers.
"I haven't heard many players say it happened to them."
Clement, who is now ranked No.53 in the world, believes he is unlikely to be approached again, but he believes that authorities have to hit hard to stamp out corruption.
"They should throw (the perpetrators) off the circuit," he said.
"It's a really preoccupying situation.
"It can happen to eveyone to get fed up with (playing) a match. But I've already seen matches where players have thrown good points away."
The threat of possible match-fixing was being taken very seriously at the Paris tournament, French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Christian Bimes said earlier today.
"We consider this a serious problem," Bimes said.
"It is a dreadful disease which is a threat for tennis worldwide.
"We have to act straight away and be as severe with this as we are with doping."
Bimes said that information on the volume of betting involved in the game was being collected through the professional players association (ATP) and the European lotteries network.
The French national betting operator, Francais des Jeux, will monitor betting activity during the Paris Masters tournament.
FDJ will monitor the betting patterns on four national lottery companies from Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia and Switzerland, and it will inform FFT should irregular betting patterns be discovered.
The move follows irregular betting on a match in which world No.4 Nikolay Davydenko lost to unheralded Martin Vassallo Arguello at Sopot in August, despite Davydenko taking the first set.
Davydenko, who strenuously denies any wrong-doing, came under the spotlight again early last week when he was fined $US2000 for not trying hard enough during his shock defeat to Croatian qualifier Marin Cilic at St Petersburg.
Bimes said all matches were being recorded at the Masters, where Davydenko is the defending champion, and information would be provided to police when match and betting analyses indicate suspect performances.
"(Police) are the only ones who can undertake certain types of investigation," he said.
The measures will be evaluated at the end of the Paris Masters before being implemented at the French Open at Roland-Garros next year.
"We aren't naive enough to think that we are going to fix this problem by waving a magic wand," FFT director Jean-Francois Vilotte said.
"But in any case, we want it clearly understood that betting on (Paris Masters) matches on banned sites is from now on a risky activity."
The ATP is also cracking down on possible match-fixing, with president Etienne De Villiers vowing the possibility of a life ban for any person found guilty of involvement in match-fixing.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22671615-23216,00.html
"It happened to me but I will not tell you where or how," Clement, the 2001 Australian Open runner up, said after his first-round defeat by Mikhail Youzhny at the BNP Paribas Masters Paris.
"I didn't hesitate for a second, I said no.
"It may be different for a guy who's not that high up in the rankings and who has financial problems.
"It's very serious.
"I can't imagine that a top 10 player could accept that, but it's hard to imagine as well that guys go to tournaments to make such offers.
"I haven't heard many players say it happened to them."
Clement, who is now ranked No.53 in the world, believes he is unlikely to be approached again, but he believes that authorities have to hit hard to stamp out corruption.
"They should throw (the perpetrators) off the circuit," he said.
"It's a really preoccupying situation.
"It can happen to eveyone to get fed up with (playing) a match. But I've already seen matches where players have thrown good points away."
The threat of possible match-fixing was being taken very seriously at the Paris tournament, French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Christian Bimes said earlier today.
"We consider this a serious problem," Bimes said.
"It is a dreadful disease which is a threat for tennis worldwide.
"We have to act straight away and be as severe with this as we are with doping."
Bimes said that information on the volume of betting involved in the game was being collected through the professional players association (ATP) and the European lotteries network.
The French national betting operator, Francais des Jeux, will monitor betting activity during the Paris Masters tournament.
FDJ will monitor the betting patterns on four national lottery companies from Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia and Switzerland, and it will inform FFT should irregular betting patterns be discovered.
The move follows irregular betting on a match in which world No.4 Nikolay Davydenko lost to unheralded Martin Vassallo Arguello at Sopot in August, despite Davydenko taking the first set.
Davydenko, who strenuously denies any wrong-doing, came under the spotlight again early last week when he was fined $US2000 for not trying hard enough during his shock defeat to Croatian qualifier Marin Cilic at St Petersburg.
Bimes said all matches were being recorded at the Masters, where Davydenko is the defending champion, and information would be provided to police when match and betting analyses indicate suspect performances.
"(Police) are the only ones who can undertake certain types of investigation," he said.
The measures will be evaluated at the end of the Paris Masters before being implemented at the French Open at Roland-Garros next year.
"We aren't naive enough to think that we are going to fix this problem by waving a magic wand," FFT director Jean-Francois Vilotte said.
"But in any case, we want it clearly understood that betting on (Paris Masters) matches on banned sites is from now on a risky activity."
The ATP is also cracking down on possible match-fixing, with president Etienne De Villiers vowing the possibility of a life ban for any person found guilty of involvement in match-fixing.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22671615-23216,00.html
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