Sporting Data Denies Being Involved in Tennis Betting Fraud

Daniel Dobson is due to appear in front of the court next week.

Daniel Dobson made bail yesterday, after appearing in front of the court in Melbourne under betting fraud charges. After being caught “court-siding” during the Australian Open, the British man was accused of breaking Australian gambling laws. His lawyer says he was merely “reporting back to his employer”, bookmaker Sporting Data Limited.

Australian authorities ordered the 22 year-old Brit to stay in Melbourne and keep away from the tennis courts, as he’s due to appear in front of the court again next Friday. Dobson is the first person charged under the country’s new law against betting fraud. According to the Crimes Amendment Act 2013, the man could be facing a 10-year prison sentence.

Sporting Data denies charges

While admitting that they pay people to attend matches and send information to their offices in London, representatives of Sporting Data Limited claim the company “has never been and never will be involved in any illegal betting or any other illegal activity whatsoever and take a serious view of any allegations that they have.”

The bookmaker says it supports the new Australian law, but considers it’s being applied “entirely inappropriately” in their case.

According to recent gambling news, two other British citizens are under investigation, as police suspect they served as accomplices to the betting fraud.