The joint BBC and Buzzfeed investigation has created a storm in tennis circles by claiming match-fixing is rife with a hard core of 16 players, including a Slam champion, involved.
Benn Gunn, a former police chief who has been investigating match-fixing, has passed on names to the ATP and the Tennis Integrity Unit but claims his findings have been swept under the carpet.
ATP president Chris Kermode has strongly denied the Gunn allegation, saying 18 players have been convicted, six of them for life, since 2009.
But where Kermode loses credibility is not one of the convicted players names have ever been made public – just another example of sweeping under the carpet.
The European Sports Security Association piped up by handing the ATP and Integrity Unit 50 suspicious matches last year.
The head of the Integrity Unit Nigel Willerton doesn’t cover himself with any glory either.
“It is not the role of bookies to make judgement about corrupt activity,” said Willerton.
The comment beggars belief.
The bookies are in the perfect position to make judgement on suspicious betting, or suspicious trends, far more so than the Integrity Unit.
So let’s see what happens at the Australian Open.
We are only at the second day of competition, yet repeating the ATP and the Integrity Unit have been given a hard core of 16 names who are under suspicion for match-fixing, one of them a Slam champion.
As Roger Federer demands – name them.
One of Novak Djokovic’s support team was approached a decade ago with a $200,000 bribe to lose, the team member refused to pass on the message, but should have told the powers-that-be.
That’s another problem associated with match-fixing with unscrupulous bookmakers likely to physically harm a dobber.
On the lady’s side, Serena Williams has no knowledge of any match-fixing, rightfully saying she virtually lives in a bubble.
Besides, why would any match-fixer approach Federer, who has banked $97.34 million in prize money alone, or Djokovic with $94.25 million, or Serena with $74.08 million.
It’s the middle of the road players who are the targets.
But one thing’s for sure, match-fixing allegations will only worsen until the ATP goes public with the offenders.
Or the Integrity Unit does the job they were appointed to do.
Better still, a combination of both.
Mr.Media
Roar Rookie
Tennis Australia should not be sponsored by a betting company. Andy Murray is right. There is no reason to bet on sports, and the betting companies are nothing more than cockroaches and leaches, taking money from the general public and sports and giving back little if anything in return. Sporting organizations should unite and ban the betting on sports competitions.
Michael
Guest
It is clear that BBC and BuzzFeed are representing betting companies. As a fact we all know how betting companies make money. They developed the betting regulations that allow them not to accept any betting that looks suspicions. So they have a mechanism to prevent match fixing. They can do it any time to any bet. The question is: Why they accept betting that clearly possess suspicious nature? The answer is that they want more money. If somebody place a big amount of money against the odds and you let him do it, hopping that the gambler is insane, than do not complain if your assumptions of gambler sanity is not valid. By accepting suspicious bets you are gambling against assumption that accepted bet is placed by insane gambler. If your assumption is wrong, than you have to accept consequences without whining. The problem here is that betting companies encourages tennis match fixing by not applying the strict bet acceptance regulations. They prefer to pass match fixing problems to tennis governing bodies, instead to accept its own responsibility and stop it by adhering to strict bets acceptance regulations in the first place. Who is playing blaming game here???
Linus Fernandes
Roar Rookie
Why would any match-fixer approach Federer or Djokovic? You seem to forget that these swindlers believe themselves to be beyond the pale of the law and if inducements won't work, they can be quite capable of resorting to threats and other heavy-handed methods.
Jarijari
Guest
I've been a bit or a lot as a punter most of my life, but sometimes take a year of two off if I'm too far on the debit side. It doesn't make sense allowing massive betting operations, the majority now offshore, to trickle a bit of dirty money into Australian sports and then extract a whole lot more out of it.
Jarijari
Guest
You betcha Lordy, it's been happening for so many years but the ITF and TA have done a cycling, athletics, cricket, AFL, NRL, FIFA, EUFA, FFA, NFL, baseball, IOC etc and swept the whole bloody mess under the carpet. Now three of TA's board have resigned, probably because of the inertia from the laughable "integrity unit". I think there's problems with some players in the BBL, so get your own integrity team together CA -- and do it properly. Yet the WBBL is a breath of fresh air in 21st century sport, with the elegant and classy Meg Lanning leading the way on and off the field, along with the best talent in the women's game from all the major countries.
anon
Guest
All last year, Serena Williams would routinely lose the first set only to stage a miraculous comeback in the last two sets to win.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
Also good to keep in mind players don't necessarily have to lose to fix matches. For instance a player could make a match last 5 sets. Could drop a set with a specific score. Force tie breakers etc etc all potential markets.
Onside
Guest
That's remarkable reading (well to me anyway)
JGK
Roar Guru
You can do this on your own account on Betfair in the UK where live in game betting is legal. I followed the 2103 Ashes around and pretty much paid for my trip by betting on my iPad while at the ground.
Dasilva
Guest
Here is a leak presentation on the matchfixing allegation https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2685408-Betting-and-Telecoms.html#document/p26/a271720
BrainsTrust
Guest
As far as Stosur you should blame the Australian media. They will build up the chances of an Australian player , in the case of Stosur, I know one year when she lost in the first round she was coming back from an operation and hardly trained. If it was any other grand slam she would have given it a miss.
SM
Guest
Not sure about Stosur. I think it's more of a case of having the most embarrassing level of mental fragility that you would see in a professional athlete.
delbeato
Roar Guru
I don't think the gambling providers make money out of match fixing. But then also they don't want sports to stop cooperating with them either, so sponsoring is a good way to keep them onside.
Beny Iniesta
Guest
I actually don't think she's the type at all to get involved in anything like this. The fact she can't handle the pressure is a pointer to the fact that she would probably have a meltdown if she found herself doing something intrinsically against the spirit of the sport. That's not the point in regards to BBC/Buzzfeed though. They are simply looking at algorithms and favourites losing frequently to lowly ranked players. Stosur losing to a big outsider ranked below 100 paying huge (although shortening) odds surprises no one..... Is she their "Grand Slam Champion?"
Beny Iniesta
Guest
Yes indeed - bookmakers are different. I got banned/restricted by SPORTSBET - bunch of shysters - because I was winning too much money off them. I also took another bookmaker for a nice bath for high 5 figures a few years back. Now that was sweet considering how I did it.
spruce moose
Guest
Sam stosur fits that category. Lol
Onside
Guest
Thanks, I will look for it. I got my info from a TV show sometime back.
Onside
Guest
Billy Connolly could never run out of material for his standups. He's not very well these days unfortunately
no one in particular
Roar Guru
"Flash Boys" by Micheal Lewis goes into this. Bookmakers are different though. If you are constantly beating them they will just start rejecting your bets. Betfair is different, you'll still get on
Onside
Guest
Interesting info.I didn't know that.