Bulgaria Bookmakers Stop Bets over Match Fixing Fears

Sports | April 27, 2009, Monday // 16:10
Bulgaria Bulgaria Bookmakers Stop Bets over Match Fixing Fears: Bulgaria Bookmakers Stop Bets over Match Fixing Fears Photo by javno.com

Bulgarian bookmakers decided to stop taking bets on several games in the Bulgarian football championship over fears that they could be fixed.

Eurofootball stopped taking bets for the April 25 second division game between Volov Shumen and Svetkavitsa Targovishte, while Sportingbet did the same with the first division game between Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Minyor Pernik scheduled for the same day, recentpoker.com reported.

The two leading bookies did not say why they closed the books on the two games but, according to Bulgarian daily newspaper 24 Chasa, this is usually done when games start attracting suspiciously high bets, prompting doubts that results could be fixed.

Speculation about fixed results surfaced after the Lokomotiv Mezdra versus Levski Sofia first division game on April 23 which Levski won 3-1. Levski is one of the two top teams in Bulgaria, always a contender for the title, while the small team of Lokomotiv Mezdra made its debut in the country's top division this year with mixed performances.

Bookies stopped taking bets an hour before the game on suspicions of a fixed final result. Only Bet365 continued accepting bets for a 3-1 win for Levski.

The bet for a 3-1 win for Levski went down from its usual for such games, 12/1 to 4/1, which according to 24 Chasa showed major wagering interest in this specific result. Indeed, Lokomotiv Mezdra surprisingly opened the score against Levski in the fourth minute. Levski turned the game around in the second half. The clubs denied all allegations of fixing.

 

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Sports » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: match fixing, bookmakers

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria