Today (27 January), a 54-year-old woman and two men aged 33 and 23 were arrested in Kings Norten and Longbridge, following reports of suspicious betting activity linked to the boxing match in question.
The investigation, led by the UK Gambling Commission and supported by West Midlands Police, alleges the three people have committed offences under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005.
Section 42 states a person commits an offence when they cheat at gambling, or “does anything for the purpose of enabling or assisting another person to cheat at gambling”.
Anyone found guilty of such offences risks a prison sentence of up to two years, as well as a fine.
In a statement on their website, the Commission stated it will not comment further on the investigation.
Another UK match-fixing scandal?
In November, professional snooker player Mark King was handed a five-year suspension from the sport after the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) found him guilty of one count of match-fixing, as well as another count of providing inside information.
The following month, the UK Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) banned players Billy Warriner and Leighton Bennett after they admitted to match-fixing.
Warriner was banned for 10 years, while Bennett received an eight-year ban. Additionally, the pair were ordered to pay £8,100 (€9,762/$10,271) each in costs.
Suspicious betting activity on boxing bouts
Boxing itself has been no stranger to match-fixing allegations.
Last year, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed a fight between Kane Baker and Aqib Fiaz was cancelled hours before it was set to get under way because of irregular betting activity related to the bout.
The British Boxing Board of Control launched an investigation and, in October, Fiaz was fined after being found to have breached Section 30 of the board’s ‘Rules and Regulations 2023’, relating to betting.
Elsewhere in 2024, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) ordered its licensees to stop accepting and offering bets on World Boxing Association (WBA) events over match-fixing concerns.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sustainable-gambling/sports-integrity/uk-police-match-fixing-boxing/
