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

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Sport bookies look for safety in numbers versus unfaithful

10 November 2010
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The recent choice by Pakistan's cricket authorities to suspend the main agreements of 3 gamers means among the summer's biggest sport gaming stories declines to go away.

Batsman Salman Butt and speed bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are under examination for supposed spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England previously this promotion code year.

They stay provisionally suspended from all cricketing activities by the International Cricket Council.
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"The claims around the Pakistan cricket team and their UK go to this promotion code summer have been so incendiary that they still stay in the headlines," says Khalid Ali, secretary general of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA).

'Confront challenges'
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Brussels-based ESSA was set up by leading online sports book operators in Europe to keep an eye on any irregular betting patterns or possible insider betting from within each sport.

It has signed memorandums of understanding with a variety of sports bodies - including FIFA, UEFA, EPFL, the FA, DFB, ATP, ITF and WTA - and has actually developed close relations with the IOC and numerous other sports regulators.

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

"The licensed wagering industry is determined to confront the difficulties head-on."

It was a scandal 5 years ago which led to the production of this bookies' intelligence operation, one designed to keep an eye on and dispatch suspicious wagering patterns.

The body happened in 2005 following a scandal in Germany which saw a referee fixing video games - the notorious Hoyzer case.

"That was a match-fixing scandal affecting German football matches and named after the referee Robert Hoyzer, who was condemned of accepting kickbacks," states Mr Ali.

"It was Odset, the German state-run wagering monopoly, that lost millions in euros, as they were unable to track the bets being placed on place in Germany on the fixed video games.

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

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

Information sharing

Nevertheless, the scandal galvanised ESSA's starting members to try and create a system where the licensed wagering sector and sporting authorities might interact "to share information on irregular and suspicious wagering".

Essa represents licensed fixed odds bookies such as Ladbrokes, Bwin and Unibet, but gambling exchanges are not part of the organisation.

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

If there is a scandal, accredited bookies can lose cash as individuals stop betting and "the whole market is tarnished".
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The Essa companies have created a central office to share info and security and pass on information to sports organisations complimentary of charge.

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

'Safety guidelines'

Each Essa member offers odds on an average of 500,000 various bets a year, and each digests and scrutinises the electronic info it receives.
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There are early warning systems in place, which he says, makes it challenging for criminals to do uneven things online.

"Every reliable bookie has their own safety guidelines.

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

"Technology suggests we have the ability to find in genuine time when suspicious bets are wagered."

Essa firms can use "stop losses" or wagering ceilings to prevent additional bets being placed.

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

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

Essa has also created a for sportspersons and ladies and is working with sporting body EU Professional Athletes.

Mr Ali has actually performed in person conferences with professional athletes in Germany, France and Spain, speaking about issues such as match-fixing and wagering.

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

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

"A few of them have had no, or extremely little bit, education on gambling and sporting policies.

"We see young professional athletes, not betting really greatly, but breaking the rules of their sport."

And he states that a couple of sports do not even have a gaming referral in their bonus code yohaig of conduct.

Denied misdeed

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

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

PCB main Zakir Khan said the players' contracts were suspended in line with the ICC's anti-corruption bet9ja promotion code yohaig.

The innocence or regret of the gamers, who have actually rejected any misdeed, will be judged at an independent tribunal, the date of which has yet to be set.
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'Challenges facing sport'

ESSA's Mr Ali believes that a lot of the issues surrounding sports gambling which have actually arisen over the past year have been associated with markets where gambling is banned, such as the Asian sub-continent and East Asia.

"When you have prohibitions, betting is driven underground into the black market," he states.

And he cautions there is no space for complacency.

"The challenges currently dealing with sports - and in particular how we deal with the stability concerns - are so basic that if we do not handle them properly and swiftly they could send out sport - and the sports video gaming market - into decrease."

"But if we understand the effort, we really do have the chance to put the brakes on match repairing."
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ESSA

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