French authority has arrested four Winnamax employees in connection with match fixation in the Algerian top soccer league. The four are being questioned over a series of bets placed on a match in the top Algerian league.
This is the second time employees of a gambling company have been drawn in match fixation. In May this year, seven people were also arrested and charged for conspiring to influence the result of DRB Tadjenanet and ES Setif, which took place in the Algerian soccer season of 2018.
According to Casino.org, if DRB Tadjenanet lost the match, it would have meant relegation, but the underdogs ended up winning 3-2 in the game after three penalties were awarded. French online gambling regulator ARJEL noted the unusual staking pattern that evening, including massive staking on the correct score.
Massive Match Fixing Scandals
ARJEL reported that about 100,000 euros were placed across various websites, which would have given the conspirator a profit of 300,000 to 400,000 euros. However, ARJEL, under its authority, suspended the market, and no winning was paid. After two years of investigation by BBC reporters covering sports corruption in Algerian soccer, it was concluded that match-fixing was occurring weekly, especially at the final stages of the season, and there was a possibility of relegation.
Penalty Kicks for Sale
The investigation further revealed that there was a massive underground market where team owners sold penalty kicks to intermediaries at $8,000 to $17,000. The corruption was, however, found to be limited to domestic interest where owners wanted to avoid relegation or gain political reputations.
