An expert on match-fixing in sports, Declan Hill, says that the situation is “the Wild East,” adding that “corruption is so rife in Chinese sports that it is almost impossible to exaggerate.” Hill is an associate professor of investigations at the University of New Haven and, despite being more than 3,500 miles away, became unexpectedly interested in events at Alexandra Palace last week, which hosted the 2023 Masters.
Hill acknowledges that “snooker should be congratulated for grasping the nettle” in looking into match-fixing, but he also issues a sobering warning about the continued difficulty.
According to Hill, billiards and other games that have been the focus of an Asian “tsunami of match-fixing” are nearly identical in every way. Since it is individual, only one person could be able to influence a match. Because of the high level of difficulty, even a proficient player might make small errors that go unnoticed. It is a sport that has seen tremendous growth in Asia, a region that, along with unregulated and illegal markets, is thought to be responsible for almost two-thirds of global sports gambling, according to Hill market.
Additionally, there is a prize structure at the top that leaves a great deal of room for financial desperation among other things while simultaneously making its biggest performers millionaires.
Although you didn’t have to agree with everything Ronnie O’Sullivan said, he did provide a deeper understanding of the threat than some of the more cliched and formulaic responses by emphasizing the reality of players “struggling to make ends meet.”
Less than half of the 130 players on the major snooker circuit took home prize money exceeding £40,000 in the previous season. Not more than £20,000 was earned by those over 40. Although the governing bodies of snooker have since instituted a minimum £20,000 guarantee, Hill’s cautions seem more pertinent when you take into account the costs of travel and lodging.
He uses tennis as an example to illustrate his point that any pay structure where dishonest players believe they can profit just as much, if not more, from losing as from winning, is a certain way to “cause corruptions and a danger of corruption”.
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson has already decided to suspend ten Chinese players, including Zhao Xintong, the 2021 UK Champion, and Yan Bingtao, the past Masters champion, while the probe is still on.
Three of the eight suspended players are under the age of twenty, and six of them received less than £35,000 in prize money in the previous season despite the fact that they collectively won more than £500,000 and were scheduled to compete in this year’s Masters.
The world no. 77 Chang Bingyu mentioned Liang Wenbo, 35, the oldest suspended player, in a since-deleted remark on the Chinese social networking site Weibo.
On the morning of a match, Chang, who has also been suspended, said that Liang had called him “in a threatening tone.” Liang disclaimed ever having been involved in match-fixing in a social media post of his own.
“Each person’s circumstances would need to be considered.”
Ferguson has spoken out against the imposition of general disciplinary measures, but he has not commented on the ongoing probe. “It would be necessary to consider individual circumstances in any situation,” he stated. “There have been examples in the past, but the circumstances were completely different. A serial match-fixer in any sport differs greatly from someone who may have been forced into a very challenging situation.
Widespread historical problems were suggested by the now-deceased gamblers and players Willie Thorne and Alex Higgins, whose careers spanned the 1970s through the 1990s.
Leading snooker journalist for almost 50 years, Clive Everton claims that when he attempted to investigate before 2010, some of the game’s administration made him feel like “the enemy.” Everton stated, “Prior to Jason Ferguson, a number of administrators had the tendency to disregard match-fixing on the grounds that it was detrimental to the sport.”
After John Higgins was found guilty in 2010 of “giving the impression” he would violate betting regulations, Barry Hearn established the sport’s integrity unit, and for Everton and other parties, the results of the subsequent investigations show significant advancements.
Over the previous ten years, match-fixing charges have resulted in the convictions of David John, Yu Delu, Cao Yupeng, Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon, and Stephen Lee.
Ferguson claims that the unit is now keeping an eye on betting markets all around the world “every day of the year” and is able to identify even the smallest changes brought on by little wagers. In addition, there is a player welfare and education program, a confidential helpline, and continuous collaboration with outside experts such as SportsRadar.
“People are constantly attempting to taint all sports.”
The current probe is being led by Nigel Mawer, a former Scotland Yard investigator, who oversees Snooker’s integrity section. Ferguson added, “People are always trying to corrupt all sports.” “Whatever individuals do, we will discover the truth. We will undoubtedly resolve this and reassure the public and our rights holders that this sport is unadulterated.
Chris Eaton, a former Interpol agent currently employed by the International Centre for Sport Security, claims that betting fraud and match-fixing are more serious issues in international sports than most people realize.
“Most fixes are the result of globally operating criminal ‘organisations,'” he claims.
According to Eaton, these criminal organizations can be “cruel and ruthless when deemed necessary” and are made up of “loose alliances and networks, almost entrepreneurial in a sense.”
Additionally, he expresses doubts about the effectiveness of betting monitoring services, especially in light of Asia’s unregulated and criminal markets, and calls for pan-governmental action. “Black banking and anonymous safe havens were commonplace in international banking a generation ago,” the author claims. Even if scandals still occur today, banks must follow accepted worldwide anti-corruption standards in order to conduct international business.
“Sports betting has taken the place of banking on a global scale. Governments must properly legalize and regulate sports betting, particularly in the main three nations of the USA, China, and India, to ensure transparency and accountability of all parties involved.
“Together, we shall confront this and advance the sport.”
The issue in snooker coincides with the sport’s preparations to resume major competitions in China after a three-year break due to Covid.
Ferguson says, “We’re going back, and it will succeed again.” Although this is a bit of a cloud over us right now, it won’t stop us from moving forward. In China, we have a powerful sports authority. The China Billiards and Snooker Association exists here. Together, we’ll overcome it and advance the sport.
The players had differing views on everything from Shaun Murphy’s support of life sentences to John Higgins’ recent statement that Lee would be welcomed back “with open arms” following a 12-year suspension that expires in one year.
After four years of research and attempts to infiltrate Asian gangs in football, O’Sullivan even implied this week that match-fixing had not affected other sports. However, Hill is clear about how high the stakes are in this game. He declared, “Corruption is the cancer of sports performances.” “The sport is headed for the grave once you start to question its fundamental legitimacy. Asia has a cemetery of sports that have experienced that.
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