It was flagged to the international betting watchdog over “manipulation” concerns
A bookmaker received around $420,000 (£310,000) worth of bets on a controversial yellow card received by an Arsenal player in a Premier League fixture earlier this season, as reported by The Athletic.
After receiving the bets, the bookmaker flagged it to the international betting watchdog over “manipulation” concerns.
Earlier this week, it was reported that the Football Association (FA) were investigating a yellow card received by an Arsenal player as part of a pattern of ‘suspicious bets’ that have been placed.
The unnamed bookmaker informed the FA of an unusual amount of money placed on an Arsenal player to receive a yellow card, with the governing body thought to be investigating the situation.
However, The Athletic have revealed that no formal FA investigation is being conducted at this stage – adding that correspondence took place between a bookmaker and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) about the incident.
It states that several bets of around $420,000 worth of cryptocurrency were placed on the player in question to get a yellow card – which happened in the match.
As a result, it should have seen winnings of over $1 million (£738,000), however, an internal investigation concluded the market may have been subject to manipulation.
Bookmakers are required to report to authorities – the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) – when they spot suspicious incidents, with a number of gambling industry insiders telling The Athletic that the pattern of betting in question was incredibly unusual.
The act of betting on small details of sporting events such as yellow cards is known in the industry as ‘spot-betting.’
Spot-betting is an act which has been a problem around the world, but it is believed to be a rare occurrence in the Premier League, largely due to the large wages most players are on.
Related links:
- Liverpool ordered extra round of PCR tests after negative LFTs ahead of Arsenal cup tie
- FA investigating Arsenal yellow card over ‘suspicious betting patterns’
- Bolton Wanderers announce they will cut all ties with betting companies
