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March 18th Tennis news ... Bet On French Open at betonfrenchopen.com
FRENCH TENNIS EXEC APPOINTED TO HEAD ONLINE REGULATORY BODY
2021-03-26
ARJEL - a new acronym to remember
A statement on the French government website www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/acteurs/gouvernement/conseils_ministres_35/.../jeux_argent_hasard_ligne_63045.html, widely reported in the French media yesterday, delivers further information on French moves to open up that country's gambling markets (see previous InfoPowa reports).
The statement announces the appointment of the French Tennis Federation's secretary general, Jean-Francois Vilotte, to head up a new French online gambling regulatory authority with the rather ponderous title of l’autorité administrative indépendante de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL). The body will be responsible for issuing the 5 year online gambling licenses envisaged in the draft legislation opening up the market from January 2010.
The statement also confirms that the proposed legislation to effect the liberalisation of the French market in compliance with European Commission principles has been placed before the French Council of Ministers.
Vilotte is a name known to most online gambling corporate execs due to his involvement in the French Tennis Federation's legal assaults on Internet gambling companies such as Ladbrokes, Betfair, Unibet, Expekt and Bwin last year regarding Internet betting on tennis matches.
Early reaction from the European Gaming and Betting Association, which numbers most of the major European gambling corporates among its members, has not been favourable to the appointment, with the organisation suggesting that the French government justify Vilotte's appointment to a post where an unbiased and independent approach is of significant importance.
MORE TENNIS INVESTIGATIONS IN PROSPECT
2021-05-23
45 pro tennis matches may have involved questionable practices, says an independent panel
Online betting was just one of the factors considered last week in the release of a report by an independent panel following an investigation into 73 professional tennis matches over the past five years. The panel found that there was a need for further probing into suspicious betting patterns at 45 of the matches during the period. The suspicious matches were not detailed.
The International Tennis Federation, the ATP, the WTA Tour and the four grand slams published the findings in a 66-page report which commented that while "....professional tennis is neither institutionally nor systematically corrupt, it is potentially at a crossroads".
The report underlined that the panel had found no evidence to support the theory that the Mafia may have been involved in corruption attempts, although it went on to state: "We do not doubt that criminal elements may be involved in seeking to subvert or corrupt some players-officials and that they may even involve organised criminal gangs."
The betting company Betfair played a role in uncovering at least some questionable practices when it voided all bets on a match involving Nikolay Davydenko last year (see previous InfoPowa reports) on grounds of suspicious gambling patterns. The incident attracted extensive media coverage, and subsequently other tennis professionals came forward with reports of outside approaches seeking to influence major games for rewards as high as $100 000.
Five Italian players have since been fined or suspended for betting on tennis.
The independent panel's report comes just before the start of the French Open, which was the subject of a court action in February this year when tournament organisers litigated in a Belgian court to ban online gambling companies from offering bets on the event....and lost.
Also included in the panel's report was a recommendation that the four governing bodies in tennis accepted that they take a serious view of players found to be cheating, including the imposition of tough punitive measures that could include banning for life. A common anti-corruption and integrity system was also agreed. Access to tournament locker rooms was highlighted as an area for reform with the recommendation that this be restricted to players and essential tournament personnel.
FRENCH TENNIS COMPLAINT DISMISSED
2021-04-29
Online gambling companies prevail in litigation over FFT attempt to stop betting
The European Gaming and Betting Association has welcomed a decision by a Belgian court in Liege against a French Tennis Association complaint which sought to prevent online gambling groups such as Bwin, Ladbrokes and Betfair from taking bets on the Roland Garros French Open and Paris Masters 2008.
In three rulings issued this week in cases brought forward by the French Tennis Federation (FFT) in Belgium against EU licensed operators, the Liège first instance court rejected all allegations of the complainant, confirming that the operators concerned do not violate the FFT’s rights as the event organisers of Roland Garros and Paris Masters. Belgian players will therefore continue to enjoy this popular entertainment in 2008.
EGBA reports that the judge, taking into consideration the corporate responsibility of the EU operators concerned and the procedures in place “preventing all anonymous bets, ensuring perfect traceability” concluded that the operators had behaved in a prudent and diligent manner.
Moreover, the judge took stock of “...the various measures, notably for the protection of minors” implemented by Bwin, as well as its membership of “ESSA (“European Sport Security Association”) which aims to guarantee the integrity of sports betting offers and to keep sports honest and free from fraud”.
The judge also considered that the “...simple mention of the name of a sports event is a necessary indication for the online betting activity” which therefore “...cannot be considered as an act of parasitism since its sole purpose is to let the player identify which sport event to place a bet on”.
The Belgian judge ordered the French Tennis Federation to pay Euro 5 000 per case for the recovery of legal costs.
Sigrid Ligné, EGBA Secretary General commented: “EU-licensed bookmakers are professionals that have a high level of expertise, know-how and risk management skills. This has been clearly recognised by the Belgian judge looking at the fact-based evidence to dismiss all the claims in this case.”