ARD/WDR Documentary: New Betting Scandal in European Football?

ARD/WDR Documentary: New Betting Scandal in European Football?

COLOGNE, Germany, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --



According to the WDR's investigations, there have been irregular betting movements in
connection with two football matches in Europe's top leagues. The suspicious bets were
placed in betting shops in Southern Germany. This has been reported by Germany's ARD 1st
TV channel in the documentary: "Betting Fraud in Football - Billion Dollar Business for
the Mafia" by Benjamin Best, which will be broadcast on 2nd March 2016 at 21:45 hrs.,
following the TV film "Auf kurze Distanz". 



On 17.01.2015 two top matches were played on which irregular bets were placed. The
games affected were in the Belgian 1st Division and the Dutch 1st Division. In the Belgian
match between Ostend and Waasland-Beveren (3 - 3), suspicious bets were placed predicting
that at least three goals would be scored in the match. In total, six goals were scored.
In the match in the Dutch 1st Division, Nijmegen v. Willem II (1 - 0), suspicious bets
were placed on a home win for Nijmegen. This prediction was also correct.



Irregular bets from Germany 



The irregular bets were placed in several betting shops in Southern Germany. In order
to conceal the possible manipulation, so-called combination bets were made. Thereby the
conspicuous matches were combined with other matches on a single betting slip. Overall,
the bookmakers paid out a five-figure sum. Both matches have already been reported to the
world football body FIFA.



Betting fraud continues to be a problem in football 



Despite the successful investigations of Bochum's SOKO "Flankengott" (Special
Commission), betting bosses worldwide continue their lucrative business. The author of the
documentary, Benjamin Best, succeeded in talking to one betting fraudster who played a
leading role in the long-running Bochum process. He claims to earn between EUR 400,000 and
EUR 600,000 a year through rigged football matches. "You only work with trusted third
parties, and there nobody can prove anything. If you have a good referee and in three
games he blows for suspicious penalties - nobody says anything." Currently the most
lucrative country is Canada, claims the betting fraudster in the broadcast interview, in
which his identity is kept anonymous.



Germany's Federal Supreme Court to hear appeal proceedings 



On 3rd March 2016, the Federal Supreme Court will open the appeal proceedings
concerning betting fraud. The Bochum Public Prosecutors' Office had appealed against the
acquittal of some of the accused. At the beginning of January, the SOKO "Flankengott"
succeeded in arresting an alleged Dutch betting fraudster at Frankfurt Airport, who was
strongly suspected in the proceedings.



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