Malaysia new Asian match-fixing hub: Chris Eaton

Monday 7th of November 2016

Malaysia has overtaken Singapore as the new center for match-fixing in Asia following a crackdown in the city-state, according to FIFA's former security chief.

Speaking at a forum on match-fixing organized by the Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) in Singapore, Chris Eaton, who was also formerly executive director for sport integrity at the International Center for Sports Security (ICSS) said: "Malaysia is the epicentre of trade for Southeast Asia.”

Eaton said that Singapore had managed to break up some football match-fixing syndicates, the most notable of which led to the arrest of Dan Tan in 2013, but that some remained working in "close association" with syndicates in Malaysia.

Former Interpol chief Ronald Noble described the Singapore-based ring that Tan allegedly led as the world's "largest and most aggressive match-fixing syndicate, with tentacles reaching every continent".

Christian Kalb, director of Paris-based gaming consulting firm CK Consulting who also spoke at Monday's forum, said illegal betting worldwide is believed to be worth up to $553 billion.

The GLMS was set up last year by 27 lottery operators to monitor match-fixing around the world.

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