Print

Mail

wiki links

Asian Cup: Police prepare for frenzy of soccer gambling

Betting on major sporting events is illegal in much of Asia but it remains rampant, and police across the region are on full alert ahead of the Asian Cup finals.

Money changes hands at market stalls or in underground gambling dens, often run by organized crime syndicates. More still is waged on burgeoning online gambling Web sites.

Some of Asia's biggest betters are in China where underground rings are rife. In 2005, a man was jailed for 30 months in a soccer gambling case involving more than US$75 million.

heavy betting

Police said heavy betting was expected on next month's Asian Cup, much of it via the Internet, but refused to disclose details of their anti-gambling plans.

Chinese police set up a special squad last year to combat illegal gambling on soccer with the national Super League unable to shake allegations of corruption in the shape of "black whistles," or bribed referees.

Like China, soccer-mad Thailand is a nation of keen gamblers, even though betting is illegal.

So much money changes hands that one economic research center estimated that Thais bet nearly US$1 billion on last year's World Cup.

Gambling is considered a "social evil," in Vietnam but betting on soccer remains popular and widespread.

In April the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court jailed 12 members of an illegal online soccer betting ring and handed suspended terms to 10 more defendants.

The network had taken online bets worth up to US$50,000 per day on matches in the Vietnamese league and on games played in Germany, Italy, Spain, Britain and in the European Championships.

Illegal bets are expected to be placed on the Asian Cup.

vigilant

It is a similar story in Malaysia, where Football Association of Malaysia secretary-general Ibrahim Saad said they were being vigilant.

"We do not know [how much will be bet] but we need to be vigilant. We cannot take any chances," Ibrahim said.

But unlike the World Cup when police forces around the region liaised, each country appears to be taking its own initiatives for the Asian Cup.

"We take care of our own turf," Ibrahim said.
This story has been viewed 1310 times.