Gambling Blog

In a move which seems to pre-empt any future actions by the Association Of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body of tennis in Australia, Tennis Australia, have taken their own action to ensure that January’s tournament is free from any betting scandals.  It seems that they have tired of waiting for official global action by the main tennis authority and have taken the matter into their own hands.

The head of Tennis Australia, Steve Wood, has taken the rather unusual step of appointing a third party corporate security company to monitor betting activity in next years tournament, to ensure everything is “whiter than white”.  This move comes hot on the heels of the most recent accusation of match fixing, which allegedly saw former Wimbledon Doubles Champion Michael Llodra being approached some 4 years ago to effectively throw a match.

While there are many in the sport who applaud the actions of Tennis Australia, the ATP are sure to be fuming that their thunder has been stolen and their slow reaction to the threat is being highlighted.  Nobody is quite sure what the ATP advice is, as they have been fairly quiet for some time, stating that they are under going an investigation into various allegations.  However, those in the sport are crying out for help and guidance now, at a time when tennis is being dragged through the mud.

This constant drip feed of unsubstantiated accusations is starting to take its toll, although it will be interesting to see what findings are made in the Australian Open next year.  Perhaps this is the stand which will break the back of the match fixers, or will this tear the sport apart through lack of guidance and advice? Either way, unilateral action is required sooner rather than later, before the sport is overwhelmed by the stench of scandal.

British tennis ace Andy Murray is the latest tennis star to claim that they know of matches being fixed at some ATP tournaments, and although he says it is difficult to prove, he claims that “all” players are aware of the trend.  While one claim in the midst proves nothing, Tim Henman recently made a similar claim prior to his recent retirement.  So what really is happening?

While there have been rumours about potential match fixing for some time, it was the Nikolay Davydenko’s match earlier this year which really blew the lid off the situation.  That game is still being investigated by the tennis authorities and while no charges have been laid as yet, it seems only a matter of time.  The authorities have expressed a great interest in betting patterns on the likes of Betfair which seem to be the betting vehicle of choice for those looking to “fix” matches.  But why use the betting exchanges?

The betting exchanges offer gamblers a unique opportunity to bet on losers as well as winners in each and every tournament they cover.  This appears to have been the catalyst for the recent rise in rumoured match fixing allegations, although the betting exchanges recent agreement to monitor and report suspicious betting patterns has further turned up the heat on the so called “fixers”.

So what next?

As well as these rumours of match fixing in tennis, there is a high profile Horse Race fixing court case currently ongoing at the Old Bailey (the UK’s top court).  While it has taken over two years to bring these Horse Race fixing claims to court, it is a move in the right direction amid claims that the authorities finally have a strong case.

There are hopes that at least one successful high profile prosecution may well quell the spate of matching fixing in all sports, but the money involved is massive and will always be a temptation for some.

While the popular sport of tennis has never really attracted much negative comment or controversy, there are concerns that gambling syndicates may well have, and continue to, target the sport in search of major gambling returns. 

 In a move which has been prompted by the Paul Goldstein, who confirmed that he had recently been approached by gambling syndicates to “fix” the result of his tennis match, the games leading authority, the Association Of Tennis Professionals (ATP), are under pressure to reveal all about possible corruption in the game.

The prospect of tennis being under attack from gangster operations and illicit gambling groups has grown in recent months after a low profile tournament in Poland attracted unprecedented betting activity on a game between little known Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo  A number of betting companies reacted by suspending betting on the match, with speculation rife that they were being set-up for a sting.

While nothing has yet been proved, it is rather surprising to hear the ATP have not even contacted the players involved to question them - although they do stress they are investigating the betting activity and will speak to the players in due course.  Goldstein’s revelations have now prompted a wave of similar comments from a whole host of players across the tennis spectrum.

When you consider the recent  prosecutions in the US, in relation to illegal gambling on baseball games, the UK’s ongoing horse racing scandal and other similar activities around the world, it seems that no area of sport can escape the gambling cartels.  The sports gambling market is absolutely enormous, with literally billions of pounds changing hands on a regular basis, and it is hardly surprising that it has attracted certain corrupt groups of society.

The authorities have promised to investigate all alleged corruption across a whole range of sports, but finding the evidence and prosecuting the culprits is easier said than done.