The Cheat Sheet - April 2, 2025 - A Roundup of Sports, Gambling and Crime News
Cleaning up football in Afghanistan, a cocaine warning in Australia, colossal fines in Las Vegas, controversy in New Zealand yachting, and corrupt MMA fighters - just another week in global sport.
The Cheat Sheet - April 2, 2025 - Issue 10
The weekly briefing for developments in sports, gambling, and crime all around the world
FOOTBALL
AFGHANISTAN - Former captain Zohib Islam Amiri accuses football federation of corruption
Zohib Islam Amiri, former captain of Afghanistan's national football team, has voiced strong criticism against the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) and its president, Mohammad Kargar, alleging mismanagement and corruption. After returning to Afghan football in January 2025 to inspire young players, Amiri was disheartened by deteriorating conditions and a controversial 8-0 victory by his team, Abu Muslim, which led to match-fixing allegations. He accused Kargar of diverting funds intended for grassroots development and failing to pay promised bonuses and salaries to players and AFF staff.
BRAZIL - São Raimundo-AM reports suspected match-fixing in Amazonense Championship
São Raimundo-AM has officially submitted evidence of alleged match-fixing during the Amazonense Championship to the Public Prosecutor's Office and local police. The club announced on March 23 that it had obtained "evidence of a possible match-fixing scheme involving games in the Amazonense Championship. This state league, in Amazonas, has a history of match-fixing, including a team being relegated in 2023 for match-fixing involvement.
ECUADOR - Chacaritas back in the headlines amid new match-fixing claims
A match in Ecuador’s Serie B between Chacaritas and Gualaceo is being investigated for potential match-fixing. Gualaceo won 3-2 but at least two goals have attracted scrutiny. Chacaritas has regularly been connected to fix matches in Ecuador. In March 2024, several of its players were forced to lie down at gunpoint by criminals seeking to force them to lose matches, as shown in a video.
GERMANY - North Black Forest football district faces match-fixing allegations
The North Black Forest Football District is under scrutiny following allegations of match-fixing. Former league director Siegfried Schall resigned after publicly revealing a manipulated game in the Kreisliga A2, the lowest level in German football.
ITALY - Monza defender Armando Izzo acquitted of match-fixing and Mafia association
Italian footballer Armando Izzo, currently a defender for Monza, has been fully acquitted by the Naples Court of Appeal of all charges related to match-fixing and alleged associations with the Mafia. The 33-year-old was accused of collaborating with the Vinella Grassi clan from Secondigliano to manipulate the outcome of the Serie B match between Modena and Avellino on May 17, 2014. After nearly a decade of investigations and legal proceedings, the court ruled that "the fact did not exist," effectively clearing Izzo
KENYA - Match-fixing woes continue as national team goalkeeper, Matasi, suspended
Kenya's national team goalkeeper Patrick Matasi has been provisionally suspended by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) over allegations of match-fixing related to an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. Matasi is accused of attempting to influence the outcome of Kenya's 4-1 loss to Cameroon in October 2024—a defeat that ended Kenya's chances of qualification and prompted the resignation of head coach Engin Firat. This follows the release of secretly recorded video footage reportedly capturing Matasi negotiating financial terms to manipulate match events.
The FKF has referred the case to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Earlier incidents include FIFA banning four Kenyan players in 2020, five referees being banned in 2021 and the FKF suspending multiple players and coaches in 2023 for similar issues.
MEXICO - Controversial own goal in Mexico 2nd division raises match-fixing concerns
An own goal by Diego Zago of Coyotes de Tlaxcala during a March 21 match against Alebrijes de Oaxaca has triggered renewed match-fixing suspicions in Mexico’s Liga de Expansión MX. Zago scored into his own net in the 44th minute under bizarre circumstances, though Tlaxcala went on to win 3-2. The incident follows recent high-profile bans for seven players from Real Apodaca and Correcaminos, who were suspended for up to 16 years for fixing matches tied to illegal betting syndicates.
MONACO - AS Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev cleared of all corruption charges
Dmitry Rybolovlev, the owner of AS Monaco, has been fully exonerated from all corruption charges by Monaco's Court of Appeal. The court annulled the criminal proceedings initiated in September 2017 against Rybolovlev and his lawyer, Tetiana Bersheda, citing that the case was fundamentally flawed due to the unlawful examination of Bersheda’s mobile phone, which breached attorney-client privilege.
SPAIN - Prosecutors seek 15-year jail term for former football federation chief Ángel María Villar
Spanish prosecutors are seeking a 15-and-a-half-year prison term for Ángel María Villar, former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), on charges of corruption and embezzlement. Villar, who led the RFEF from 1988 until his suspension in 2017, is accused of orchestrating contracts between 2007 and 2017 that allegedly defrauded the federation of over $4.84 million. The indictment also implicates Villar's son, Gorka, for whom a seven-year sentence is sought, and former RFEF vice president Juan Padrón. Prosecutors allege that Villar profited by arranging friendly matches for the Spanish national team, selecting opponents to benefit himself and his son.
PORTUGAL – Portuguese football federation headquarters raided amid corruption probe
Portuguese police have conducted searches at the headquarters of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) in Lisbon, focusing on the 2018 sale of its former building for over €11 million. The investigation, initiated in 2021, examines transactions from 2016 to 2020 under former president Fernando Gomes and ex-director general Tiago Craveiro. Authorities are probing potential crimes including active and passive corruption, undue receipt of advantages, economic participation in business, and qualified tax fraud.
SWITZERLAND - Betting prohibited on national team friendly due to manipulation concerns
The Intercantonal Gaming Authority (Gespa) prohibited Sporttip, Switzerland's sole legal sports betting platform, from offering wagers on the March 25, 2025, friendly match between the Swiss national football team and Luxembourg. This decision was based on concerns about the heightened risk of match manipulation associated with such fixtures. Gespa's regulations restrict betting on friendly matches involving teams ranked outside the top 75 in the FIFA World Rankings; Luxembourg is currently ranked 92nd. Swisslos, the operator of Sporttip, reported receiving numerous complaints from customers who were unable to place bets.
SWITZERLAND - Platini and Blatter cleared of fraud for second time
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini have been acquitted of fraud charges by a Swiss court for the second time. The case centered on a 2 million Swiss franc payment authorized by Blatter to Platini in 2011 for consultancy work performed between 1998 and 2002. Both men maintained that the payment was based on an oral agreement and denied any wrongdoing.
BASEBALL
JAPAN – Sixteen baseball players fined for illegal online gambling
Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) has fined 16 players from eight teams for illegally using online casinos, marking a significant breach of the league's compliance policies. The investigation began in February when Orix Buffaloes pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka was found to have participated in an online poker tournament through an overseas gambling site. Subsequent inquiries revealed that 15 additional players had engaged in similar activities. The NPB has not disclosed the names of these players.
BASKETBALL
ALGERIA - Basketball federation reveals large-scale match-fixing scandal
The Fédération Algérienne de Basket-Ball (FABB) publicly confirmed on March 24 that it had uncovered attempts to manipulate match results in the national league, the first such revelation in Algerian sport. The FABB issued an official statement warning of serious and coordinated efforts by certain clubs to fix matches in exchange for competitive advantages.
CRICKET
INDIA - IPL 2025 opener marred by toin coss fixing claim
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 started controversially during the opening match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens. A pre-match broadcast glitch displayed a graphic indicating KKR had won the toss and elected to bat—information that appeared before the actual toss occurred. This anomaly led to a flurry of accusations from fans, suggesting potential match-fixing and bias against RCB.
However, upon investigation, it was revealed that this incident resulted from routine pre-match testing by the broadcast team. Such tests involve inputting hypothetical data to ensure the accuracy and readiness of on-air graphics. Unfortunately, in this instance, the test graphic was inadvertently aired.
SRI LANKA - Indian Manager Sentenced to Four Years for 2024 Legends League Match-Fixing
Akash "Yogi" Patel, the Indian manager of the Kandy Samp Army during the 2024 Legends League, has been convicted in absentia by the Matale High Court for attempting to fix matches.The court sentenced Patel to four years in prison. Investigations revealed Patel likely fled the country via sea. The Legends Cricket League, featuring retired international players, has faced scrutiny over corruption concerns. The International Cricket Council (ICC) highlighted that such unsanctioned events, often held in South Asia and the Middle East, operate without official oversight.
DRUGS
AUSTRALIA - New integrity chief warns cocaine use links athletes to organised crime
Sport Integrity Australia’s new chief, Sarah Benson, has warned that recreational drug use—particularly cocaine—poses a serious threat to sports integrity, exposing athletes to criminal influence and undermining anti-doping efforts. Benson, a former chief forensic scientist with the Australian Federal Police, said athletes using drugs like cocaine are inherently vulnerable due to the illegal sourcing of these substances—often through networks connected to organised crime. The warning comes in the wake of an auditor-general’s report highlighting a “cocaine culture” among certain athlete cohorts.
GAMBLING
INDIA - CBI raids multiple locations in Mahadev betting app investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted searches at 60 locations across Chhattisgarh, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Delhi as part of an ongoing probe into the Mahadev Book online betting platform. The raids targeted premises linked to politicians, senior bureaucrats, police officers, key functionaries of Mahadev Book, and other individuals suspected of involvement in the case. Investigations suggest that the platform’s owners paid substantial amounts as "protection money" to public servants.
INDIA - Uber cabs display illegal 1xBet gambling ads in Delhi and Mumbai
Over 2,000 Uber cabs in Delhi and Mumbai have been spotted displaying advertisements for 1xBet, an online gambling platform banned in India since 2023. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had previously blocked 1xBet along with 580 other applications under Section 69A of the IT Act, targeting illegal betting and gambling entities. Uber's partnership with Everest Fleet Pvt. Ltd., whose vehicles featured these ads, has come under scrutiny.
PHILIPPINES - Authorities raid illegal offshore gaming operator in Makati City
Philippine authorities have conducted a raid on an illegal offshore gaming operator (POGO) located in a high-rise building in Makati City, resulting in the arrest of 131 individuals from various countries, including China, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia. This raid is part of a broader crackdown on unauthorized POGO operations in the Philippines. In a similar recent operation, authorities arrested 401 individuals involved in illicit online gaming and scam activities in Pasay City, Manila.
USA - Resorts World Las Vegas fined $10.5 million for compliance failures
The Nevada Gaming Commission has imposed a $10.5 million fine on Resorts World Las Vegas for violations related to anti-money laundering protocols and associations with individuals linked to illegal gambling activities. This penalty is the second-largest in the state's history. Resorts World permitted individuals with histories of illegal bookmaking and felony convictions to gamble extensively at their establishment. This included Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker who accepted numerous sports bets from Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani.
MMA
USA - UFC Fighters Suspended for Betting Violations
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has suspended two UFC fighters, James Molina and Darrick Minner, for their involvement in a betting scheme linked to a coach, James Krause. Molina's suspension is part of a broader investigation into betting irregularities surrounding a November 2024 UFC fight between Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, where Minner, coached by Krause, lost in the first round amid unusual betting patterns. The NSAC alleges that Molina was "involved in some substantial way" with the "gaming scheme currently under ongoing investigation related to James Krause." The UFC has previously warned fighters against associating with Krause.
TENNIS
GERMANY - Tennis player suspended for breaching anti-corruption rules
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has suspended 22-year-old German tennis player Mina Hodzic for three months due to a violation of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). Hodzic was found to have engaged in a 'prohibited association' by training with Jordi Marse-Vidri, a former player currently serving a 15-year suspension for corruption offenses. Despite prior warnings from the ITIA regarding Marse-Vidri's status, Hodzic participated in a practice session with him in October 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
SAILING
NEW ZEALAND - Yachting NZ's gets controversial governance nod while under investigation
Yachting New Zealand (YNZ) has recently been re-awarded the Governance Mark by Sport New Zealand, recognizing its adherence to best-practice governance standards. However, this recognition has drawn criticism from members of the sailing community, as it coincides with an ongoing investigation by the Sport Integrity Commission into YNZ. Initiated in December 2024, the investigation addresses multiple complaints related to cultural issues, athlete welfare, and conduct within the organization.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE READING
How tech is helping the NCAA tackle March Madness gambling violations - ESports Insider
FIFA closes on recognising Afghanistan women’s team but players say it is too late - The Guardian
Starlizard Integrity Services identifies 159 suspicious football matches played globally in 2024 - Starlizard