iGaming Business – Federbet, an organisation of leading gaming operators that monitors suspicious gambling patterns, has reported that more alleged match-fixing took place in England than any other European country during the 2013-14 season. In a report delivered at the European Parliament, Federbet alleged that 11 English games were targeted last season. A total of 10 of the fixtures took place in the Conference North and South, the sixth-tier of English football, in which several players have already been accused of corruption. A game between Notts County and Everton in the Women’s Super League was the 11th fixture named, the…

Malta Today – The Maltese government will continue to push for changes to a new definition of illegal sports betting which is being drafted by the Council of Europe, and pushed by France. According to the Parliamentary Assembly, illegal betting and match-fixing are “alarming, widespread practices” which jeopardise both sporting ethics and rule of law, as they are closely interconnected with money laundering and international organised crime. The Council of Europe is thus pushing for a Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, open to all States. The gaming industry provides 12% of Malta’s total GDP. Remote gaming on its…

CBS – For the first time since he joined the Miami Heat, LeBron James’ team is an underdog in the NBA Finals. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs opened with a -120 moneyline (5-to-6 odds) to win the NBA Finals Sunday, according to Sportsbook.com. Some books have it as high as 135, and that action could increase before Thursday’s Game 1. San Antonio also opens as a four-point favorite to win Game 1. While -120 isn’t exactly breaking down walls in favor of the Spurs, it does show the doubts about the two-time defending champions as well as the…

Premium Times – Nigeria has been implicated in yet another football match-fixing scandal, with the revelation that the friendly match between the Super Eagles and North Korea on the eve of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was doctored. The allegation, published by the New York Times, opens a fresh can of worms in a series of claims that Nigeria has featured prominently for years in the dubious art match-rigging. Nigeria won the friendly against the North Korean side by 3-1. Besides the result, that match also grabbed the headlines over a stampede that occurred before the commencement of…

Reuters – South Korean casino operator Paradise Co has hired Jose Mourinho, the outspoken manager of English football giants Chelsea, as the face of its new advertising campaign to lure punters from China, where the sport is increasingly popular. Paradise is teaming up with Japan’s Sega Sammy Holdings Inc to build a $1.7 billion casino resort in the coastal city of Incheon, near the country’s main international airport, with construction to be completed in 2017. It faces steep competition from operators like Genting Singapore PLC and Caesars Entertainment Corp, which are moving to build their own tourist-focused resorts in South…

STV – Almost a third of professional footballers in Scotland have admitted breaking the rules on betting for players, a new survey has revealed. The study revealed the extent and attitudes towards gambling in Scottish football and found that 32% of players admitted contravening strict gambling rules set out by our football governing bodies. The report, by the world union for professional footballers, FIFpro, also revealed that one player said they had played in a game that has since been identified as fixed. One player also admitted they had been approached in the past 12 months to fix a match…