Betting Fraud in Dutch Football?

First and second league affected

The football association KNBV has confirmed initial reports from the news channel NOSIGT that 25 players from the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie, Hoallnd's second division, Betting on the outcome of games in your own league should have completed. If these allegations are true, the professionals would have clearly violated the association's rules. However, the accusation is not only of illegal betting, but also of manipulation.

No names known yet

Reports had just made the rounds that the American football league NFL was also affected by betting fraud, and such allegations are already appearing in Europe. The Dutch news agencies confirmIGTen that the police have started an investigation. However, there is currently no evidence that games could have been manipulated. Six players who are under contract with clubs in the first division and 19 professionals from the second division are affected. According to a report by the ANP news agency, it is not yet known which players they are.

Unusual activity detected

Only if the allegations of betting manipulation are true will these be criminally prosecutable acts. Betting on games in your own league violates the regulations of the KNVB, but is not relevant under criminal law. However, players could still expect hefty penalties if enough evidence is found. According to Spiegel, the reporting office of the gambling supervisory authority, the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit, got on the trail of the professionals conspicuous betting activities between November 2021 and November 2022 had determined.

Illegal betting by football professionals

The news channel NOS already confirmsigte that there is corresponding evidence of suspicious bets. There are 40 reports that fall within the specified period. 12 times it was about unusual incidents at games abroad, while all other reports related to illegal betting by football professionals. For this reason, Jan de Jong, director of the league, has now announced that betting should be banned in the future and that such incidents will be dealt with even more strictly. The players' union has not yet commented on this, but only stated that it was aware of the incidents.

“We will make it clearer in the future that this is not permitted.” – Jan de Jong, Director/Eredivisie, Statement on the accusation of betting fraud

Not the first betting scandal in Holland

It is also not the first time that Dutch football has become the scene of betting fraud, because as the Bochum public prosecutor's office researched as part of its investigation into betting fraud in football, there had already been proven manipulated games in the Eredivisie in 2009. HelMond defender Tom Beugelsdijk received a penalty for illegal betting last year. The 32-year-old was suspended for five games, two of which were placed on probation. AZ Alkmaar midfielder Jordy Clasie received a two-game suspension penalty for betting online.

Ignorance among players?

If the allegations are substantiated and even match fixing can be proven, the affected players will certainly face a heavier punishment. The Dutch players' union VVCS also believes it is possible that players did not know that they were banned from betting on games from their own league. According to tag24, a study was recently carried out which revealed that of 200 athletes surveyed, eleven percent said they bet on games from their own league. A program was therefore launched in 2022 that will provide players with comprehensive information about the gambling rules and educate them about the dangers of game manipulation.