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Thousands Arrested Over Illegal World Cup Gambling

FIFA World Cup Trophy

FIFA World Cup

Thousands of people across Asia have been arrested, as part of a worldwide crackdown on illegal betting during the recent World Cup. Interpol, the international police organisation has announced that an estimated 800 gambling dens were raided in China, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The crackdown, which was named “Operation Soga III” by police forces, saw several cars, computers, bank cards and even mobile phones seized from the 11th June – 11th July.

According to reports released to the press, it’s believed the dens handled over £100 million in bets. Police seized £6 million during the operation and speculation has mounted as to whether the illegal gambling network in Asia influenced the outcome of the World Cup. Christian Fraser, of the BBC, has observed that “spot bets” such as which player will be booked first, are traditionally easier to fix than the overall outcome of the game. Interpol has announced that they will examine whether gambling dens in Asia had any influence over the tournament.

The chief of police services at Interpol, Jean-Michel Louboutin, has suggested that the results of Operation Saga III have been “impressive”, praising in particular the “police co-operation which made this (the raids and consequent arrests) possible”. Operation Soga III is Interpol’s third crackdown on illegal gambling in recent years, as the organisation aided with two previous operations, known as Soga I and Soga II.



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Paul the Octopus’ World Cup Predictions Cost William Hill £500,000

Paul the Octopus, Germany

Paul the Octopus

Paul the octopus’ World Cup predictions have cost UK bookmakers William Hill an estimated £500,000. The bookmakers, which also offers an online casino, has informed the press that bettors who backed the so-called psychic octopus’ predictions – which included the fact that Spain would win the World Cup and England would be knocked out by Germany, have netted up to £3,000. If fans of the World Cup, and of course Paul, placed £10 bets backing the octopus’ predictions during the tournament, they would have earned £200, which would increase to the aforementioned £3,000 figure if they reinvested their winnings into more bets.

Graham Sharpe, a spokesperson for William Hill, informed the press that “picking all of Germany's victories, their two defeats, and Spain's World Cup final triumph was one of the finest tipping feats ever”. Unlike German football fans, who have expressed urges to cook the octopus, which is housed at Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, it’s believed William Hill doesn’t hold a grudge against Paul. However, Sharpe did note that the bookmakers, no doubt along with other betting companies, are hoping that “Paul has gone to a rest home for retired octopi by the time the next World Cup gets under way”.



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Kelvin Etuhu Charged over Casino Assault

Kelvin Etuhu

Kelvin Etuhu

Premier League football star, Kelvin Etuhu, has been charged with assault, causing actual bodily harm and wounding offences. It’s believed that the footballer, who currently plays for Manchester City, was involved in an incident outside 235 Casino, in Manchester, on the 27th February. It’s alleged that Etuhu was involved in a dispute outside the 235 Casino in Manchester, which left two men and one woman injured. Since his arrest, Etuhu has been released on bail, provided he appears before magistrates on the 6th August. Rico Richards, also of Manchester, is facing charges relating to the incident at the casino, as well.

On the pitch, the young footballer faces tough competition at his current club, Manchester City. A spate of new signings at the club in the past few seasons have meant Etuhu has been loaned out to various other teams, including Rochdale and Leicester City. Born in Kano, but raised in South East London, Etuhu is eligible to play for either England or Nigeria at the international level, although it’s believed the striker would prefer to begin an international campaign with the latter.



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Bet on Paul the Octopus and the World Cup

Paul the Octopus, Germany

Paul the Octopus

Few would disagree that 2010’s FIFA World Cup has been a strange one. After France, Italy, Brazil and England left the tournament early, both football fans and pundits have been left confused by the surprises and shocks of the football event.

However, throughout the tournament, one expert has remained an accurate match statistician: Paul, an octopus at the Sea Life Aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. The aquatic creature, who was born in Weymouth before being moved to the aquarium in Germany, has accurately predicted the outcome of all of Germany’s World Cup matches. Paul suggests who he believes will win by moving towards one of two boxes, which are labelled with the teams taking part in a certain World Cup match.

Paul has now given his prediction on who he believes will win the World Cup final on Sunday: Much like other football experts, the octopus is backing Spain. Given that the octopus has yet to guess the outcome incorrectly, it’s believed football bettors are backing Paul’s prediction powers, and in turn, Spain’s chances of winning the World Cup. At the moment, bet365 are offering 8/15 odds on Spain winning the tournament, so if you believe in Paul’s predictions, it would be worth placing a wager on the World Cup final.

Bettors should also bear in mind that Paul’s predictions are facing competition from Mani, a parakeet in Singapore who has correctly suggested the outcome of all four football semi-finalists and is backing Holland to win.



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Casino Online Launches World Cup Twidget

World Cup Twidget

We’re pleased to announce that in partnership with Pete Nordsted and Matt Finnigan, we’ve launched our very own World Cup Twidget. Nordsted and Finnigan, the authors of The Essential World Cup Betting Guide 2010 will be providing World Cup betting tips and advice – giving you the edge during this global competition. We’ll also be working with various football websites and blogs to provide the latest news and developments from South Africa.

Alongside this, we’re inviting you to share your original World Cup content and have it featured on a wide range of football websites, thus increasing the amount of coverage your website receives and visitors. To place the Twidget on your website and even feature your news and opinions, simply visit our dedicated World Cup Twidget section. Here, you’ll find out how to implement the code, as well as more details on what the Twidget offers.

If you’d like to find out more about Pete Nordsted, co-author of The Essential World Cup Betting Guide 2010, why not check out our review of Nordsted’s previous book, Mastering Betfair. More information about Nordsted’s and Finnigan’s new World Cup title is available at Harriman-House.com.



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US and English Ambassadors Wager on World Cup Match

FIFA World Cup Trophy

FIFA World Cup

The UK ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald and US ambassador Louis Susman have decided to liven up the forthcoming World Cup match between England and the USA, by wagering on the outcome. The BBC has revealed that Sheinwald and Susman have wagered that their respective countries team will beat the other, with a meal riding on the outcome.

Aides for Sheinwald and Susman have been exchanging comments about the match, with the US aide writing to Sheinwald that they “will understand if you decline, given the outcome of the last such encounter”. Susman’s aide is referring to the last time the United States played England, when in 1950 the US team, which was made up of semi-professionals, managed to beat England 1-0. Sheinwald’s aide has hit back at Susman, suggesting that the US ambassador should bear in mind that he likes his steaks like the US’s past win over England; “somewhat rare”.

Staff at the British Embassy in the United States have revealed they’ll be watching the match, which will take place on Saturday. It’s believed that a quarter of the Embassy staff are American, with an unnamed source suggesting to the BBC that “it should make for a lively crowd”.



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Football Player Harry Coleman Arrested at Casino

American Football

American Football

Harry Coleman, a linebacker for the American football team the New Orleans Saints, was arrested at a casino in Louisiana on Sunday after a scuffle with a fan. Reports have suggested that a fan allegedly approached Coleman, but the sports star “wasn’t amused” and proceeded to ”shove” the fellow casino patron. While the incident didn’t lead to any further altercations, the fan filed a complaint against Coleman to the Chitimacha Police Department, who duly arrested the sports star at the casino.

It’s believed that Coleman cooperated with the police when they informed the sports pro that he would be booked “on a misdemeanour simple battery charge”. Coleman was soon released, but the Chitimacha Police Department has refused to make a statement on the incident. The New Orleans Saints’ head coach, Sean Payton, has revealed that Coleman’s position in the team hasn’t changed and the linebacker will be able to participate in team training. Coleman’s football career began just a few years ago, when he became a safety, then linebacker for his local team, the LSU Tigers.



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Roman Abramovich Receives Apology Over False Gambling Allegations

Roman Abramovich

Roman Abramovich

Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club, has accepted a public apology and libel damages over allegations which suggested he had lost a “yacht” because of a poker game and suffered from a gambling problem. In May 2009 La Repubblica published an article proposing that Abramovich had “suffered” a poker loss and had to give up a yacht, which was estimated to be worth half a million Euros.

The paper also alleged that Abramovich’s relationship with his partner, Dasha Zhukova, was at breaking point because of his poker playing. Abramovich has denied the claims since the paper first published the article and subsequently took legal action against La Repubblica. The newspaper’s solicitor, Sarah Toolan, suggested that her client “offers its sincere apologies to Mr Abramovich for the distress and embarrassment this article has caused”.

While the figure of the damages awarded to Abramovich has not been released, it’s believed the business tycoon will donate it to charity. Abramovich’s solicitor, John Kelly, told the High Court that not only were the La Repubblica’s claims completely false, they were also extremely damaging, suggesting that they caused his client “distress and embarrassment”.



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Blackburn Striker El-Hadji Diouf Allegedly Involved in Casino Attack

Premier League striker and Senegal international

El-Hadji Diouf

El-Hadji Diouf

has been charged with “wounding with intent”, according to recent news reports, after a fight allegedly broke out between him and a female at the Casino du Cap Vert in 2009. Khady Sy has suggested that Diouf, who has played for Liverpool and Sunderland, before settling at Blackburn Rovers, assaulted her at the casino.

Diouf has since appeared in court in Senegal, after flying over to take part in a charity event at the invitation of the president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade. If the case comes to trial, Diouf could face up to two years in prison. A spokesperson for Blackburn Rovers has suggested that both the team and the management did not know about the case, insisting that they believe Diouf flew to Senegal just to take part in the aforementioned charity event.

This isn’t the first time Diouf has courted controversy: In 2003 and 2004, Diouf was banned from five games by UEFA and the FA respectively, for spitting at fans and fellow footballer Arjan de Zeeuw. At the time, Diouf’s then teammate, Gary Speed, suggested that the footballer’s actions were “something that you can't defend”.



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Chinese Football Clubs Face Relegation Over Match-Fixing Allegations

Chengdu Blades

Chengdu Blades

Following recent match-fixing allegations in the Chinese Football League (CFL), officials have suggested that two teams may be relegated for allegations relating to match-fixing and gambling.

Back in January, Nan Yong, the head of the Chinese Football Association (CFA) was taken in for questioning by police investigating match-fixing allegations. Since then, both the football association and the league have been keen to stamp out any further smears and as such, are considering relegating Guangzhou GPC and Chengdu Blades. Both teams are in the Chinese Super League, the highest division and are at risk of being bumped down to the second division. Second division team, Qingdao Hailifeng, are also facing complete disqualification from the sport.

Ma Chengquan, the director of the Chinese Football League, has told reporters that they have yet to reach a decision on the future of the clubs, suggesting that there “will be a hearing this afternoon” and they “will listen to the clubs' statements”. It’s believed a final decision on the future of the three football clubs will be released later this week.



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