World sport will be at greater risk of match fixing because of the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
That is the view of the director of intelligence at a company that provides data and “integrity services” for some of sport’s leading bodies, including Fifa, Uefa, World Rugby, NFL and MLB.
Oscar Brodkin, the director of intelligence and investigation services at Sportradar, is certain match fixers will take advantage of the situation, and suggests they already have.
It is believed both organised crime syndicates and “lone-wolves” will target all leagues which return first “particularly if they are from a less affluent country”.
Brodkin suggests salary deferrals and reductions brought about by the pandemic will cause more participants in sport to fix.
“We know that salaries and match fixing are heavily, heavily correlated,” said Brodkin, speaking on an online forum organised by the Sports Law and Policy Centre in India this week.
“A study in 2013 showed the correlation between match-fixing and salaries, but it is an obvious point.
“If players aren’t paid their salaries, they are either desperate for funds, or they feel annoyed at their employers, so they fix games out of spite. [They think], ‘If they federation is not taking care of us, why should I care?’
"Also, because of Covid-19, even the enforcement are not being paid as well, and therefore there could be more fixing.
“It is a trend, we know it happens. Everyone who works for a sports administration knows that players who haven’t been paid their salaries, or clubs who aren’t paying their salaries, are at the highest risk.”
Despite the dearth of sport during lockdown, gambling on it remained as high as 40 per cent of the usual rate, according to Brodkin.
In the absence of the usual big events, obscure leagues – such as those for Armenian table tennis or Tajikistan Under 21 football – suddenly had a market for them online.
For example, as one of the few countries not to report a case of coronavirus, Vanuatu’s cricket season carried on more or less uninterrupted.
As a result, interest in it boomed. The hastily assembled livestream of their opening T10 tournament had nearly half a million views, which is far larger than the population of the country itself.
Tellingly, Vanuatu’s T10 competition subsequently came to be sponsored by an online betting website.
If players aren't paid their salaries, they are either desperate for funds, or they feel annoyed at their employers, so they fix games out of spite
Shane Deitz, the chief executive of Vanuatu Cricket, said in advance he understood the potential pitfalls of the new-found interest in their game from further afield.
"I don't shy away from the prospect of betting on cricket matches," Deitz told The National in May.
“It happens everywhere, so we can’t hide away from it.
"We have been playing international cricket for some time now so it isn’t new to us.
“Our responsibility is to protect our players and the integrity of the association.
“We will put steps in place and continue with the help of the ICC to educate our players and officials.
“Also if we detect any wrong doing, we will be tough on the players and follow ICC guidelines to ban and suspend players and officials if need be.”
Brodkin praised cricket’s ruling body for having a reputation as a “very strong unit, who engage in disruption” of known corruptors.
Five UAE cricketers are currently suspended from the sport as part of an investigation into breaches of cricket’s anti-corruption code.
Brodkin also encouraged vigilance over pop-up leagues that are created in sports with the intention of fixing, as well as existing clubs being dissolved, then taken over by match-fixers.
“We know this was the case before corona,” he said.
“The classic one is that they want to invest in clubs. They start to bring in their players, and they start to fix matches.
“This is less relevant for the big leagues, like the Indian Premier League, but it can happen.
“What they do is go into clubs, try to bring their own players, then try to fix matches.
“It is much harder to detect, because they are not as greedy when they take over clubs. They don’t need to fix every minute of every single game.
“It is definitely something to watch out for immediately.”
______________________
Bowled over: Cricket on a South Pacific archipelago being watched around the world
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
