According to the "Hamburger Morgenpost", several football matches in Germany may have been influenced for the purpose of betting fraud. Investigations are underway on suspicion of match-fixing.
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- In Germany, 17 matches are suspected of having been manipulated.
- Information about the expected match results is said to have been sold on the darknet.
- According to the Interstate Treaty on Gambling, betting on amateur matches is prohibited in Germany. However, these bets are still possible with foreign providers.
German football is once again shaken by suspicions of betting fraud. 17 matches may have been manipulated in the past two years, as confirmed by the Hessian State Criminal Police Office. The authority is referring to information from the Federal Criminal Police Office. The German Football Association is also looking into the case.
TheHamburger Morgenposthad previously reported on the suspected manipulation. According to the report, matches from the 3rd league, two regional leagues and several top leagues may have been influenced for the purpose of betting fraud since November 2022.
In Saarland, the police are investigating suspected manipulation of a football match. It concerns a match that took place in Saarland, according to reports. The police are conducting the investigation on behalf of the Saarbrücken public prosecutor's office. The Hessian State Office of Criminal Investigation is aware of two "conspicuous" matches. "These are currently being assessed by the criminal police. A possible referral to the public prosecutor's office is currently being clarified," the authority announced.
Conspicuous wrong decisions by referees
According to the information, there were some conspicuous wrong decisions by referees or serious mistakes by goalkeepers and defenders in the 17 matches. However, the DFB does not yet have any reliable information on this. "However, we are already in contact with the relevant authorities and our monitoring partner Genius Sports. In view of the ongoing investigations, the DFB is unable to make any further statements," the association announced.
Information about the expected match results is said to have been sold on the darknet during the matches. This may have enabled high betting profits to be made. Corresponding chat histories are said to prove the criminal deals.
The suspicion is very plausible, said Hannes Beuck, one of the founders of Gamesright. The company claims to be committed to helping consumers who have lost money in online casinos and online sports betting. The intertwining of sport and betting is a fundamental problem, said Beuck.
The potential for manipulated games in the amateur leagues is particularly high. According to Beuck, referees and players are paid poorly or not at all.
Oberliga Hamburg is said to be affected
Exactly which matches are under suspicion will not be made public for the time being out of consideration for the ongoing investigations. According to the "Mopo" report, however, the Hamburg Oberliga is one of the leagues affected.
The "Hamburger Abendblatt" reported two incidents at the matches of Niendorfer TSV and TSV Sasel last Tuesday. Both clubs received a tip-off that live bets were to be placed on their matches.
Both clubs discovered a data scout at their sports facilities who passed on information for the live bets to a corresponding provider. Once the men had been expelled from the facilities, it was no longer possible to place bets on the two matches online.
According to the Interstate Treaty on Gambling, betting on amateur matches is prohibited in Germany. However, these bets are still possible with foreign providers.
"The Hamburg Football Association has clearly positioned itself against illegal sports betting through its match regulations and its partners. We are investigating these cases together with the DFB. If anything turns out to be true, we will take action against it," explained President Christian Okun. The association has been cooperating with Gamesright since this summer, which is why the Oberliga is called "Gamesright Oberliga Hamburg".
Public prosecutor's office investigates regional league match
Last fall, the public prosecutor's office in Bochum opened an investigation into unusually high betting stakes on the regional league match between FSV Frankfurt and TSV Steinbach Haiger. At the time, the Federal Ministry of the Interior had received information from a betting provider about possible manipulation. The investigation into the match is ongoing, as the public prosecutor's office is now saying. "Against this background, no further information can be provided on the proceedings at present."
The betting scandal involving the then DFB referee Robert Hoyzer in 2005 brought the issue of match-fixing into the public eye. Later, the investigations by the public prosecutor's office in Bochum against an internationally active gang caused a stir - games from the Bundesliga 2 to the Champions and Europa League were under suspicion, professional players in Germany were also banned and fraudsters were sentenced to several years in prison.
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