Hungary Accused of Participation in International Football Scandal

The current international football scandal that came to unfold in Germany is now linked to many other countries including Hungary. At this point it is estimated that over 200 people were involved in the betting scandal and over 200 matches were thrown.

The football matches that were thrown are said to have taken place from 2005 to 2007 in at least 3 Champions League matches and 12 UEFA Cup matches. Omar Fayet, who played for the Swiss team FC Thun, has already been banned from the league for his involvement in throwing a game during the scandal.

Those at the head of this scandal are estimated to have generated over €10 million in revenue. Each player that was involved in a thrown match is estimated to have made €15,000 per game. The cash flow did not stop with the player and officials believe that club managers, referees and even coaches were also involved in the match-fixing.

A German newspaper recently brought to light the involvement in the scandal on the part of the Hungarian team from Ujpest. According to suspicions 13 of the NB1 matches played by Ujpest this year were not clean. These reports have yet to be investigated and confirmed.

Hungarian gambling laws allow sports betting, but only through the land-based gambling provider Szerencsejatek. Any bets placed on the suspected matches could have been done through either online gambling sites based outside of Hungary, or even at local bookmakers.

Internet gambling in Hungary is made difficult by the government because they would like to protect their monopoly and make a larger profit. Like the US, Hungary does not permit banking transactions that relate to online gaming. Hungary’s jurisdiction, however, is limited to its borders and Hungarians visit online gambling sites regularly. The matches which may have been thrown in Hungary will be investigated shortly.