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

Sport bookmakers seek security in numbers against unfaithful

10 November 2010

The current decision by Pakistan's cricket authorities to suspend the central agreements of three gamers implies one of the summer season's greatest sport betting stories refuses to go away.

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

"The claims around the Pakistan cricket team and their UK see this promotion code summer season have been so incendiary that they still remain in the headlines," says Khalid Ali, secretary general of the European Sports Security Association (ESSA).
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'Confront challenges'
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Brussels-based ESSA was established by leading online sports book in Europe to keep track of any irregular betting patterns or possible insider betting from within each sport.

It has signed memorandums of understanding with a number of sports bodies - consisting of 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.
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"Nobody wants to bank on contests whose outcomes they feel are rigged," states Mr Ali, speaking about sports betting.

"The licensed wagering market is figured out to face the challenges head-on."

It was a scandal 5 years ago which caused the creation of this promotion code bookmakers' intelligence operation, one created to monitor and dispatch suspicious betting patterns.

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

"That was a match-fixing scandal affecting German football matches and named after the referee Robert Hoyzer, who was discovered guilty of accepting bribes," says Mr Ali.

"It was Odset, the German state-run betting monopoly, that lost millions in euros, as they were unable to track the bets being put on location in Germany on the repaired video games.

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

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

Information sharing

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

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

If there is a scandal, accredited bookies can lose cash as people stop betting and "the entire market is tarnished".

The Essa companies have actually produced a headquarters to share info and security and hand down info to sports organisations free of charge.

"A great deal of work has been performed in regards to establishing and improving the manner in which sports and bookies communicate and deal with one another," says Mr Ali.

'Safety standards'

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

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

"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 suggests we have the ability to find in real time when suspicious bets are bet."

Essa firms can use "stop losses" or wagering ceilings to avoid more bets being placed.
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"Once irregular wagering has actually been determined, this information is shared amongst the Essa group with an hour, and if proved to be suspicious, passed to sport federation," states Mr Ali.

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

'Little education'

Essa has also developed a bet9ja promotion code yohaig of conduct for sportsmen and ladies and is working with sporting body EU Professional Athletes.

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

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

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

"A few of them have actually had no, or really little, education on gaming and sporting guidelines.

"We see young professional athletes, not betting very heavily, but going against the guidelines of their sport."

And he says that a few sports do not even have a gambling referral in their standard procedure.

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

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

PCB official Zakir Khan stated the gamers' contracts were suspended in line with the ICC's anti-corruption bet9ja promotion code yohaig.

The innocence or guilt of the gamers, who have denied any misbehavior, will be evaluated at an independent tribunal, the date of which has yet to be set.

'Challenges facing sport'

ESSA's Mr Ali believes that numerous of the problems surrounding sports gambling which have emerged over the previous year have been associated with markets where gambling is banned, such as the yohaig code Asian sub-continent and East Asia.

"When you have restrictions, gaming is driven underground into the black market," he states.

And he warns there is no room for complacency.
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"The difficulties presently dealing with sports - and in particular how we deal with the integrity issues - are so basic that if we don't handle them properly and promptly they might send out sport - and the yohaig code sports video gaming industry - into decline."

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

ESSA

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