Match-fixing fears cloud Olympics runup
Britain is worried that the Olympic Games in London this summer will face a massive threat to their credibility from attempted match-fixing and spot-fixing of sporting events by illegal betting syndicates in the Indian subcontinent and the Far East.
The UK government has, for the first time in Olympic history, decided to set up a de0dicated police intelligence unit at the London 2012 Games to identify illegal betting practices and attempts to fix sporting events, especially by bribing referees or sportspersons, the Sunday Times reported.
The unit will be headed by the Metropolitan police and work with the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency and Interpol.
In addition, the International Olympic Committee has created International Sports Monitoring to track the worldwide betting market for unduly large wagers on particular events or competitors during the Games.
Illegal betting syndicates, largely in the Indian subcontinent and the Far East, are expected to bet billions of pounds on the Olympic Games.
Britain will also warn all Olympic sportspersons and officials about the possibility of approaches by match- or spot-fixers to influence the outcome of an event.
Olympics minister Hugh Robertson said match-fixing has overtaken doping as the biggest threat to the reputation of the London Games.
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