Illegal betting has spurred fixing of sporting and horse racing events with about 0 billion in illegal wagers laid each year around the globe, attendants of the 2016 Asia Racing Conference learned.
Recently held in India, the conference’s top focus was illegal betting and its impact on sports around the world. More than two-thirds of the estimated $716 billion wagered on sports each year around the world is done through illegal operations, including bookies and illegal offshore betting sites.
Hong Kong Jockey Club Integrity Chief Martin Purbrick told conference attendees that, in just the past month, reports of match-fixing in tennis, cricket, and soccer events have been made, including what he termed “suspicious” activity during as many as half of all Canadian Soccer League matches.
Between 70 and 80 percent of all illegal betting occurs within the borders of Asian nations, Purbick said, and that leads to a spread of illegal betting activities around the globe.
He said illegal sports betting and match-fixing also drives other illegal activities, including money laundering and corruption.
Globally, the Philippines are ground zero for illegal betting activity, Purbick said, citing one website as controlling the equivalent of about 57 percent of all wagering in Hong Kong.
