Piegate in the news again

Piegate – the novelty betting issue around former Sutton reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw, caught on camera eating a pie during an FA Cup match (see previous reports) surfaced again this week with the news that the UK Gambling Commission has imposed a GBP 84,000 fine on online gambling company SunBets – a Tabcorp/News Corp subsidiary.

The Commission found that SunBets failed to properly manage the risks associated with offering ‘novelty’ bets, and that Tabcorp allowed more than 100 self-excluded customers to open duplicate accounts and gamble.

As a result, Tabcorp has had its licence to offer gambling in Britain reviewed, and will have new conditions attached according to a BBC report.

Richard Watson of the Gambling Commission said Friday:

“Vulnerable customers were able to gamble with Tabcorp UK, despite choosing to self-exclude. This is not acceptable. Gambling firms must ensure the systems they have in place are protecting their customers effectively.

“Novelty betting markets, such as the market Tabcorp UK offered on last year’s FA Cup tie between Sutton United v Arsenal, may seem like a bit of fun but the consequences were serious – with the potential to encourage someone to commit a criminal act or breach a sports governing bodies’ rules.”

Shaw was shown eating a pie while standing by the substitutes’ bench during Sutton’s FA Cup fifth-round match against Arsenal last season.

Sun Bets, which sponsored the match, tweeted it had paid out a “five-figure sum” as that was one of its ‘novelty’ bets.

Shaw was subsequently investigated by the Football Association for potentially breaching betting rules and resigned from the club after he was charged with intentionally influencing a football betting market and improper conduct; he was banned from playing for two months and fined GBP 375.

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