The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THERE is rampant manipulation of sports betting results for personal monetary gains, whereby counter clerks, punters, club owners and players, mainly for football teams, are allegedly fleecing operators in this multi-billion dollar industry, Post Sport has established.
Many different local and international sports betting operators and brands have already emerged in the Zimbabwean gambling industry and local sports betting fans get to choose from a plethora of reputable sports betting companies.
Although the sports betting industry has gone through a substantial transformation in recent years in the country, it has also come with its own ethical challenges as ways of making a quick buck are allegedly being devised by some unscrupulous counter clerks, punters and club owners.
Investigations by this newspaper revealed that manipulation of sports betting results is rife with Simulated Reality League Games, which is chief among the list of games that punters, in cahoots with counter clerks, can manipulate for personal gains.
For the Simulated Reality League Games, there can be change in times of kick-off, with the computer at a given betting company recording that the match starts at 3pm, while the game would have kicked-off at 1pm.
This means by the time the clock hits 3pm, results of that particular match would be known and the counter clerk, since they are not allowed to bet, has room to connive with a punter of their choice to quickly place a bet on a match whose results would have already been made public.
For example on September 4, a Simulated Reality League Game Europa Conference match pitting FK Crevna Zvedza and KAA Gent started at 3pm when it had initially been scheduled for a 5pm kick-off.
This resulted in punters close to some counter clerks being asked to place their bets with the full knowledge of the results.
They ended up pocketing some money from this unethical conduct.
Many Simulated Reality League Games have been abused owing to changes in kick-off times, especially those involving teams from Kazakhstan.
This is in direct contravention of standing rules of sports betting companies as illustrated on Africa Bet website: “Where we have reason to believe that a bet was placed after the outcome of an event is known, we reserve the right to void the bet. Where any in-running bet is not completed, all bets on that event shall be void except bets where the contingency has already been determined.
“Africa Bet reserves the right to amend the odds on any bet if that bet was placed during the period when betting should have been suspended for any reason.
“The betting is monitored remotely and has absolutely nothing to do with the counter clerk, nor manager or supervisor on duty.
“Because of the nature of in-running betting, called bets cannot be entertained and a bet is only valid should a client be in possession of a ticket.”
Apart from Simulated Reality League Games, referees of matches placed on live betting are also accused of manipulating results of matches.
However, this, together with bookmakers’ compilation of odds, is more pronounced in foreign countries where the online sports betting programmes are devised and set.
This gives credence to some doubts often expressed after some surprise match results as well as referee’s decisions during matches.
For example, the recent match pitting Newcastle and Manchester United raised eyebrows after the match official denied a clear goal, even after the Video Assistant Referee had allowed it.
Manchester United players surrounded referee, Craig Pawson, after he disallowed a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese claiming that Newcastle had taken a free-kick before he raced to take the ball away from goalkeeper, Nick Pope, and slotting it into an empty net. This denied Ronaldo what could have been the winning goal as both sides played out a draw at Old Trafford.
Jadon Sancho then later had a penalty appeal controversially turned down after appearing to be brought down by Sean Longstaff, while Marcus Rashford missed a glorious chance in the final moments of the match.
While there cannot be direct and clear linkage between manipulation of results for purposes of sports betting and events on the field of play, it is certainly not far-fetched to relate the two given the highly questionable decisions witnessed.
The Lotteries and Gambling Board is the country’s regulatory body responsible for controlling and monitoring the gambling industry’s operations through the Lotteries and Gaming Act, which came into operation in 2000.
Part of their responsibility is to issue licences to gaming operators.
Controversy relating to corrupt activities within the Board have also been raised in the past, with the then Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gambling Board secretary Heavens Gonga being accused of corruptly and unilaterally running the board.
Only recently, Cabinet received and approved the amendment of the Lotteries and Gaming Act in efforts to improve revenue collection from the gaming industry as presented by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe.
“The nation is being informed that the Lotteries and Gaming Board (LGB) is operating under an Act that came into force in 1998. Although the Act was amended twice in 2001 and 2002, it has become inadequate in addressing evolving trends within the gambling space, consistent with the global growth of online gambling.
“Essential amendments to the Act include provisions allowing online gaming and compelling operators to incorporate technology compatible with LGB systems for monitoring and control purposes.
“Government is losing substantial amounts of revenue through numerous leakages and legislative inadequacies that need to be plugged. The envisaged amendment of the Act will undoubtedly promote easy supervision and monitoring of gaming activities, and mitigate money laundering as well as enhance revenue streams.
“There is need to adapt to the ever-changing environment through deploying appropriate technologies. Government cannot ascertain the actual levies if it relies on statements provided by operators,” read part of the recent post Cabinet briefing report.
