Illegal Betting Concerns FIFA

December 4 - Soccer authorities, including FIFA and SAFA, are warning South Africans that illegal betting syndicates are expected to descend on the country prior to the World Cup 2010.

Gamblers have been requested to stay away from these syndicates that originate mostly from Asia and have been warned that organized criminals who use loan sharking services, violence and intimidation stand behind these operations.

The SA Football Association (SAFA) has informed referees and premier league teams to be on the lookout for these syndicates and be extra vigilant.

There have already been claims of match fixing and, as a result, all premier league referees have already undergone lie detection testing, said Kirsten Nematandani, head of SAFA.

"I can't say much more about the claims but there are a number of allegations being investigated," he said. "We have to stay vigilant and continue to watch out for signs of match fixing."

FIFA has commissioned Early Warning System (EWS) to monitor all games in the World Cup 2010.

A spokesperson for EWS said that sports betting in Africa made up about 1% of the global market.

"Based on the estimation that the world wide turnover for sports betting is over $300 billion (R 2 219 billion) a year, we know there is an important share in illegal betting in this amount, particularly in the Asian market," said the spokesperson.

"We cannot make statements or estimations about the illegal sports betting market in South Africa in particular, but are monitoring the world wide market," he added.

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