Aussie bookies challenge media betting report

The furore created last week by Australian media reports that A$49 million in Asian bets was placed on a single Australian football match has turned out to be a storm in a teacup, and was allegedly caused by a potentially embarrassing media error in currency conversion, the Football Federation of Australia challenged this week.

The FFA claimed in a statement Wednesday that media reports that almost A$50 million was bet on an A-League game between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory were incorrect.

The FFA has ascertained that the amount wagered on the match was actually A$5 million, and that the error came about when media outlets reported the figure held in Australian dollars rather than the actual currency of Hong Kong dollars.

The Federation also confirmed that no A-League fixture was under investigation by authorities, something it has said from the outset in the face of media coverage alleging the contrary.

“FFA wants to correct the coverage that has cast a shadow over one Hyundai A-League match,” FFA CEO David Gallop said.

“Our integrity systems gave us the assurance that there were no concerns with the match. FFA has sympathy for the clubs, players and officials in that match who got caught up in that story. It’s a reminder that everyone must be careful to deal with the real evidence. The facts can have a calming effect and this is a case in point.”

Reports of the allegedly high wagering on the match compounded concerns raised earlier by the Australian Crime Commission’s report on sports corruption and performance enhancing drugs.

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