Match-fixing: ‘more than 10 suspicious basketball games’ in Asian league with Covid-19 crisis poised to cause rise in corrupt practices
- Sports integrity services provider Sportradar says players and officials more vulnerable to corrupt approaches given the depressed economy
- Match-fixing activity is expected to increase, with Asia accounting for 60 per cent of global sports betting turnover
More than 10 suspicious games have been detected in an Asian basketball league this year with sports integrity professionals expecting an increase in match-fixing activity in a Covid-19-depressed environment.
Despite a significant decrease in sports competitions because of the pandemic, gamblers are still looking for ways to bet, with Asia leading the world, said Tan You Chen, Sportradar’s senior manager, Integrity Partnerships Asia in Singapore.
He said many gamblers resorted to betting on lower-league and amateur games in Europe during the height of the coronavirus lockdown from March to May as the major sporting leagues, such as the English Premier League, and other competitions came to a halt.
“With Covid-19, there has been quite a few changes to the whole sporting landscape,” Tan told the Post. “First thing is we are experiencing negative economic conditions and that has definitely played into the hands of match-fixers because players and officials have had their wages cut and they are now easier targets for corrupt approaches.
“Some players are still giving 100 per cent but not getting 100 per cent of wages and this is likely to contribute to the increase in match-fixing, simply because it’s easier to corrupt them.