Football gambling under the radar

• Source: Global Times
• [03:01 November 05 2009]
• Comments

By Deng Jingyin

Police arrested members of a gambling syndicate in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, who had allegedly manipulated domestic football league games, Guangzhou Daily reported Wednesday.

Some football insiders who were suspected of manipulating games with illegal betting service providers within the leagues were identified, it said.

The China News Service reported that the league under investigation could be the Zhongjia League, which means second-division league, and more than one football club was involved.

The report said it might be the start of more official actions to address football gambling and match fixing.

"Gambling on football is regarded as the biggest barrier for football development, but it is difficult to fight against it because of insufficient evidence," a worker from Shenyang Football Association told the Global Times Wednesday.

China's campaign against gambling on football will enter an "ice-breaking period," the report said.

Related people from Sichuan, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, such as club staff and players, have been summoned by police as part of the anti-corruption campaign led by the Ministry of Public Security.

Wu Xiaodong, who was the deputy general manager of Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group Football Club in the 2006 season, and Yang Xu, who was the team leader, were also summoned by the police.

Both Wu and Yang left the club after the 2006 season.

"Some staff and our club are assisting the police of Liaoning Province to carry out the investigation," a person in charge of the club said, refusing to disclose further information except that Wu was part of the probe.

"Football gambling makes the game unfair, and it preys on the spectators and impairs the quality of football match," the person said. "But it's an extraordinarily lucrative business."

The person said football gambling is rampant because of huge profits.