DANSKE SPIL TO SPEARHEAD FOOTBALL CORRUPTION CURB

The Copenhagen Post newspaper in Denmark reports that the state gambling monopoly Danske Spil is to head a new organisation aimed at curbing corruption in European football. The newly-created monitoring body will seek to prevent match fixing by referees and players.

Titled the European Lotteries Monitoring System (ELMS), the new organisation is a co-operation with European football’s governing body UEFA and will officially begin operations in August. Among the tournaments to be monitored by ELMS are the Champions League, the European Cup and all European national team matches.

Jens Nielsen, head of Danske Spil’s sports betting division, said the agency won the contract to head the body because it has been the leading organisation assisting a UEFA-European Lotteries co-operation on fighting corruption since 2005.

Nielsen said the number of referee bribes and instances of players being paid to help their team lose has been increasing since 2000, with match fixing reportedly occurring most often in a tournament’s early rounds.

‘It usually occurs when there are a lot of teams from smaller countries, and in games where teams from Eastern Europe or the Balkans are involved,’ said Nielsen.

A special group within Danske Spil will be assigned solely to monitor signs of corruption, gathering and reviewing reports from European gaming organisations that detail unusual betting patterns.

It is not known whether Danske Spil will inspan the information and assistance which advanced technology betting exchange Betfair could provide.

Cryptologic 14 top games to be provided to Loto-Quebec - 02/08/2012 : The companies have signed a multi-year agreement that will see Cryptologic providing a portfolio of quality games to the Societe du jeu virtuel du Quebec, the online gaming division of the provincial state lottery corporation Loto-Quebec, known as Espacejeux.

Utah : Online Gambling : HB108 - 02/08/2012 : An intrastate attempt by Utah politician Stephen Sandstrom to introduce state legislation banning any legalisation of internet gambling has failed at the start gate.

MORE U.S. DISCUSSION ON INTERNET GAMBLING DUE THIS WEEK - 02/08/2012 : Interest in online gambling in the United States is set to continue on Thursday this week when the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs meets to hear the views of a wide cross section of interested parties on the possible impact of legalised internet gambling on tribal gaming.

Judge wont dismiss DoJ Black Friday charges - 02/08/2012 : Former Utah banker John Campos and e-processor Chad Elie, who face charges relating to the payment processing of online poker transactions, suffered a setback Tuesday when a Manhattan judge refused to allow their motion for dismissal of Black Friday indictments against them.

ANOTHER MAJOR INTERNET GAMBLING BUST IN MALAYSIA - 02/08/2012 : Police units in Malaysia raided a series of premises in a week long anti-online gambling operation, seizing 225 computers and detaining 47 men, according to reports from the Bernama news agency. All of the detained men were later released on bail.