Operators in talks with Cricket Australia over match-fixing concerns

Australia’s cricketing governing body held talks with unregulated gambling operators this week amid growing concerns of match-fixing during its popular Big Bash tournament.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, an estimated AU$3bn is expected to be wagered on the Twenty20 cricket event – a near 40% rise on last year – and an amount which prompted Cricket Australia to scope out unusual betting activity and signs of potential match-fixing.

The national cricket body, with the backing of the Australia Federal Police, is understood to have spoken to a number of offshore wagering companies, including SBOBET and Pinnacle Sports, to get an understanding of the nature and volume of bets taken, the SMH reported.

News of the discussions with offshore operators comes as the government prepares to reveal its response to a recent federal review into Australia’s unlicensed gambling market.

The Review of the Impact of Illegal Offshore Wagering, which reported to the Minister of Social Services and the Minister of Communications, was first announced on 7 September by the former minister Scott Morrison and led by the former premier of New South Wales Barry O’Farrell.

In its submission to the review in December the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS), which represents a number of sporting bodies including Cricket Australia, backed proposals to lift the ban on online in-play betting which it said had created an “integrity blind spot”.

The federal government’s response could be released as early as the end of January.