Football Match Fixing Scandal in India

Players and managers of major club allegedly offered money to affect outcomes.

A Malaysian betting syndicate is under investigation for attempting to use large sums of cash to influence the outcomes of football matches in India. According to reports Mumbai FC officials were offered “life changes sums” to throw matches they were expected to win. This has made major gambling news as the Indian league is tremendously popular.

Allegedly a Malaysian man called Subramaniam approached five players and managers from the club with offers of cash. Mumbai FC vice-president Atul Bagdamia admitted that the “man later said we will have to fix the outcome of our I-League matches before going to Malaysia for friendlies. When they mentioned match-fixing, I immediately broke contact with them.”

Sportsbetting very taboo in India

Sportsbetting is illegal according to Indian gambling laws. However, the country has a large underground betting industry, and betting on Indian football and cricket matches in popular in many other countries in Asia.

If Bagdamia or anyone else involved with Mumbai FC had been caught accepting money from gamblers there is no question that the penalty would be very severe. Unlike in countries such as the UK where it is considered a minor offense for players to bet on sports, the activity is completely illegal in India.