Man charged with courtside betting for overseas syndicate at Aust Open
A UK national has been arrested at the Australian Open for allegedly feeding courtside information to an overseas betting syndicate.
The man, 22, has been charged under Victoria’s specialised legislation which aims to crack down on match fixing, in the first known incident where such an arrest has been made in tennis.
Deputy commissioner Graham Ashton said police had received intelligence from Tennis Australia that the man and several others would be at the Open with the aim of “courtsiding”.
It’s alleged the man was using a hidden device that enabled him to electronically send information from matches that could be used to place a safe bet on point outcomes through the match.
Mr Ashton said similar behaviour had been detected at last year’s Open, before the legislation came into effect.
“We will certainly be watching the event for the remainder of the tournament very closely and looking for other signs,” he said.
“If we do see courtsiding, we will deal with it.”
Mr Ashton said police were still investigating who else was involved and whether any players could have knowledge of the courtsiding, though it is considered unlikely.
“This particular incident should serve stern warning to overseas syndicates, overseas groups looking to come to Australia and cheat on sporting events,” he said.
The man has been charged with one count of engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome.
He has received bail to appear in court tomorrow.
The legislation was used for the first time last year in the case of Victorian Premier League team the Southern Stars, with several players and other figures accused of match fixing for an overseas betting syndicate.
