THE MILLIONS BEING SPENT ON WELSH PREMIER LEAGUE BETS
A staggering £124 million is being bet on the Welsh Premier League a season – with an average of £644,000 punted on EVERY match.
And that’s only the figures from the regulated betting market, with illegal bets thought to see even more money placed on games in Wales.
The incredible amounts – a 65% increase from the last figures in 2014 – have seen the Football Association of Wales step up their bid to hammer home the dangers of match-fixing to players in the domestic system.
The new figures have been revealed by the FAW as part of their investment into what they call protection of the competition’s integrity with Uefa, European football’s governing body, already describing match-fixing as the biggest threat to the future of football.
The FAW have continued their partnership with Sportsradar, one of the world’s leading firms in monitoring suspicious betting patterns.
And part of the deal will see players at the top levels in Wales complete workshops spelling out the threat of manipulation and passing on seemingly innocent information.
“I think people would be surprised by the figures,” said FAW Integrity Manager Steve Jones. “And anything involving big money brings with it the potential to attract the wrong type of people, be it football or any other sport or business.
“It is something we are wary of and in our last workshops in 2014 we covered issues including the influence of criminal gangs and potential manipulation because it is something that has happened in other countries.
“Uefa view match fixing as the number one threat to the game in Europe and, while as an association we feel we are in a good place, it’s important not to stop and that we continue to raise awareness.”
The FAW are believed to spent significant amounts in continuing their integrity education programme which has already seen more than 1,000 individuals – including players, coaches, officials and administrators – receive integrity training. Chris Coleman’s Wales stars also had a match-fixing awareness workshop prior to Euro 2016.
The latest plans will see players given clear instructions on the rules and regulations of betting, including providing inside information, with Jones adding: “We want to spell out exactly what they can and cannot do.
“A player may pass on information about their team having five players out injured for a particular match, for example, something done without malice, but that does represent inside information.”
Workshops will take place at all 12 Welsh Premier League clubs from next week onwards
Jonathan Ford, FAW chief executive, said: “The development of this programme is key to safeguarding the game in Wales from the threat of match-fixing.
“Worldwide betting turnover on matches in the Welsh Premier League continues to be on the increase, so it’s vital that our players are fully aware of the potential threats to the integrity of the game in Wales, as well as being clear on their obligations in relation to rules and regulations around betting.
“Education is key to ensuring that this happens and we’re delighted to continue with this programme in partnership with Sportradar, who are the market leaders in this area.”