Sport bookies look for security in numbers versus unfaithful

10 November 2010
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The recent decision by Pakistan's cricket authorities to suspend the central agreements of three players implies one of the summertime's biggest sport gambling stories declines to disappear.

Batsman Salman Butt and rate bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are under examination for supposed spot-fixing throughout Pakistan's trip of England earlier this promotion code year.

They remain provisionally suspended from all cricketing activities by the International Cricket Council.

"The allegations around the yohaig code Pakistan cricket team and their UK visit this promotion code summertime have been so incendiary that they still remain in the headlines," states Khalid Ali, secretary general of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA).

'Confront obstacles'

Brussels-based ESSA was set up by leading online sports book operators in Europe to monitor any irregular betting patterns or possible insider betting from within each sport.
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It has signed memorandums of comprehending with a variety of sports bodies - consisting of FIFA, UEFA, EPFL, the FA, DFB, ATP, ITF and WTA - and has actually developed close relations with the IOC and lots of other sports regulators.

"Nobody wishes to bet on contests whose results they feel are rigged," states Mr Ali, speaking about sports wagering.

"The licensed betting industry is determined to challenge the difficulties head-on."

It was a scandal five years ago which resulted in the development of this bookmakers' intelligence operation, one created to monitor and dispatch suspicious wagering patterns.

The body came about in 2005 following a scandal in Germany which saw a referee fixing games - the well-known Hoyzer case.
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"That was a match-fixing scandal affecting German football matches and named after the referee Robert Hoyzer, who was condemned of accepting bribes," states Mr Ali.

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

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

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

Information sharing

Nevertheless, the scandal galvanised ESSA's charter member to attempt and develop a system where the certified wagering sector and sporting authorities could work together "to on irregular and suspicious wagering".

Essa represents certified fixed odds bookmakers such as Ladbrokes, Bwin and Unibet, but betting exchanges are not part of the organisation.

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

If there is a scandal, certified bookmakers can lose money as people stop wagering and "the entire industry is stained".

The Essa firms have actually developed a main workplace to share info and security and pass on info to sports organisations totally free of charge.

"A great deal of work has been done in terms of establishing and improving the way that sports and bookies interact and work with one another," states Mr Ali.

'Safety standards'

Each Essa member uses odds on approximately 500,000 different bets a year, and each digests and scrutinises the electronic information it gets.

There are early warning systems in place, which he states, makes it hard for bad guys to do jagged things online.

"Every reputable bookie has their own security standards.

"Online is well-regulated, people who come online leave a footprint and great deals of information about who they are and where they are," says Mr Ali.
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"Technology means we are able to find in real time when suspicious bets are bet."

Essa companies can use "stop losses" or wagering ceilings to prevent additional bets being put.

"Once irregular betting has actually been identified, this promotion code information is shared amongst the Essa group with an hour, and if shown to be suspicious, passed to sport federation," states Mr Ali.

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

'Little education'

Essa has actually also devised a standard procedure for sportsmen and females 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 concerns such as match-fixing and betting.

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

"We have actually had players concerning us and asking us to help them," he includes.

"Some of them have actually had no, or very little bit, education on gaming and sporting policies.

"We see young athletes, not betting extremely heavily, but going against the rules of their sport."

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

Denied misdeed

At present, the Pakistan case looks like dragging on for a while yet.
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Mr Butt and Mr Amir have lost their attract the ICC over the provisional bans, while Mr Asif has actually withdrawn his appeal.

PCB main Zakir Khan said the gamers' agreements were suspended in line with the ICC's anti-corruption promotional code yohaig.

The innocence or regret of the gamers, who have rejected any misbehavior, will be evaluated 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 thinks that many of the problems surrounding sports betting which have actually arisen over the previous year have been related to markets where gambling is prohibited, such as the Asian sub-continent and East Asia.
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"When you have prohibitions, gaming is driven underground into the black market," he states.

And he warns there is no room for complacency.

"The obstacles currently dealing with sports - and in particular how we handle the integrity problems - are so fundamental that if we don't manage them correctly and quickly they could send sport - and the sports video gaming market - into decline."

"But if we grasp the initiative, we really do have the opportunity to put the yohaig code brakes on match fixing."

ESSA

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