sport-bookmakers-seek-safety-in-numbers-against-cheating

Sport bookies seek security in numbers versus unfaithful

10 November 2010

The recent choice by Pakistan's cricket authorities to suspend the main contracts of 3 gamers means one of the summer's biggest sport betting stories refuses to disappear.

Batsman Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are under investigation for supposed spot-fixing during Pakistan's trip of England earlier this year.
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They remain provisionally suspended from all cricketing activities by the International Cricket Council.

"The claims around the Pakistan cricket team and their UK visit this summer season have actually been so incendiary that they still remain in the headlines," says Khalid Ali, secretary general of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA).

'Confront obstacles'

Brussels-based ESSA was established by leading online sports book operators in Europe to keep an eye on any irregular wagering patterns or possible expert betting from within each sport.

It has actually signed memorandums of comprehending with a number of sports bodies - including FIFA, UEFA, EPFL, the FA, DFB, ATP, ITF and WTA - and has actually established close relations with the IOC and lots of other sports regulators.

"Nobody desires to bet on contests whose outcomes they feel are rigged," says Mr Ali, discussing sports betting.

"The licensed betting market is determined to face the challenges head-on."

It was a scandal 5 years ago which led to the development of this bookies' intelligence operation, one developed to monitor and dispatch suspicious betting patterns.

The body came about in 2005 following a scandal in Germany which saw a referee repairing games - the infamous Hoyzer case.

"That was a match-fixing scandal impacting German football matches and called after the referee Robert Hoyzer, who was discovered guilty of accepting kickbacks," states Mr Ali.

"It was Odset, the German state-run betting monopoly, that lost millions in euros, as they were not able to track the bets being placed on location in Germany on the repaired video games.

"But the licensed and regulated online market, with its electronic audit trails, was unblemished by the affair."

Mr Hoyzer was consequently jailed for his function in the scandal.

Information sharing

Nevertheless, the scandal galvanised ESSA's charter member to attempt and create a system where the certified wagering sector and sporting authorities could collaborate "to share information on irregular and suspicious wagering".
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Essa represents licensed fixed odds bookmakers such as Ladbrokes, Bwin and Unibet, but gambling exchanges are not part of the organisation.

"The majority of our members are listed on stock markets, so it is likewise in their interests to stop bribery, corruption and matchfixing," states Mr Ali.

If there is a scandal, licensed bookies can lose money as people stop wagering and "the whole industry is tainted".

The Essa firms have developed a central workplace to share info and security and hand down information to sports organisations complimentary of charge.

"A great deal of work has been performed in regards to developing and improving the way that sports and bookmakers communicate and deal with one another," states Mr Ali.

'Safety standards'

Each Essa member uses odds on an average of 500,000 various bets a year, and each digests and scrutinises the electronic info it receives.

There are early caution systems in place, which he says, makes it hard for criminals to do uneven things online.
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"Every trusted bookie has their own safety guidelines.

"Online is well-regulated, people who come online leave a footprint and lots of details about who they are and where they are," states Mr Ali.

"Technology means we are able to identify in real time when suspicious bets are bet."

Essa firms can utilize "stop losses" or betting ceilings to avoid more bets being placed.

"Once irregular wagering has been recognized, this details is shared amongst the Essa group with an hour, and if proved to be suspicious, passed to sport federation," says Mr Ali.

"We are developing some momentum now and would like other individuals to come on board, such as state monopolies."

'Little education'

Essa has likewise devised a standard procedure for sportspersons and ladies and is dealing with sporting body EU Professional Athletes.

Mr Ali has carried out face-to-face conferences with athletes in Germany, France and Spain, discussing problems such as match-fixing and betting.

And it is hoped that Essa can further expand that work with the European athletes group next year.

"We have actually had players concerning us and asking us to assist them," he adds.

"A few of them have actually had no, or very little bit, education on betting and sporting guidelines.
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"We see young professional athletes, not wagering very greatly, however breaking the rules of their sport."

And he says that a couple of sports do not even have a betting recommendation in their standard procedure.

Denied misdeed

At present, the Pakistan case looks like dragging on for a while yet.

Mr Butt and Mr Amir have lost their appeals to the ICC over the provisional restrictions, while Mr Asif has actually withdrawn his appeal.

PCB main Zakir Khan stated the gamers' contracts were suspended in line with the ICC's anti-corruption yohaig promotion code.

The innocence or regret of the players, who have denied any misdeed, will be judged at an independent tribunal, the date of which has yet to be set.

'Challenges dealing with sport'
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ESSA's Mr Ali believes that many of the problems surrounding sports betting which have occurred over the previous year have actually been related to markets where gambling is banned, such as the Asian sub-continent and East Asia.

"When you have restrictions, betting is driven underground into the black market," he states.
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And he warns there is no room for complacency.

"The difficulties currently facing sports - and in particular how we handle the stability problems - are so basic that if we do not manage them correctly and swiftly they could send out sport - and the sports gaming market - into ."
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"But if we comprehend the effort, we truly do have the chance to put the brakes on match repairing."

ESSA

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