THUNDER WARY OF OVERSEAS PUNTERS

FOOTBALL: The National Premier Leagues Queensland is becoming a hot-bed of activity for overseas gamblers.

While odds are offered on games through Australian betting companies, it is in Europe and the Middle-East where most of the punters hail.

NPL Qld club South-West Thunder know this all too well.

The Thunder is often bombarded with requests for team information and updates via Facebook.

The Chronicle too has been contacted for information.

“Betting on the NPL is rife, it goes to under 20s and it is a world-wide thing,” Thunder board member Jon Haynes said.

“The game that got postponed we were getting Facebook messages from people wanting updates of scores.

“They do appear to be coming from eastern Europe or the Middle East.

“It is what it is and it does seem to be very widespread in the Brisbane Premier League too.”

And while every player at the club is bound to a Football Queensland integrity agreement that forbids them from wagering on football of any kind, the club still wants to avoid any risk of outside meddling in its games.

Sportsbet is currently offering odds for the Thunder of $10 to beat Gold Coast City on the weekend.

Scrapping the grass-roots betting market would be ideal, according to Thunder president Wade Eiser.

“I’m fully against it, it is not really in the spirit of the game and it is not where we see the game being played,” he said.

Football Queensland outlines online its ongoing efforts in combating match-fixing.

“Football Queensland follows and endorses the FFA Sports Betting and Match Fixing Guidelines,” the statement read.

“As noted in the guidelines, anyone that suspects someone is acting in an inappropriate manner should contact their club, Football Queensland or FFA.”

❝ Betting on the NPL is rife, it goes to under 20s and it is a world-wide thing. — Jon Haynes