In New Zealand, a major concern among gambling operators is the potential increase in match-fixing and sports corruption that is occurring in the sports market. However, one recent case of the crime has been thrown out in court. John Elias, a former NRL player and coach was accused of taking part in a match-fixing scandal, but evidence of such a crime taking place did not hold up in court.
Elias was accused of attempting to unlawfully gain $98 000 from TabCorp during the summer of 2010. He placed $5500 worth of bets on a rugby game between the Cowboys and the Bulldogs, wagering on the possibility that the first goals scored in the game would be penalty shots.
Upon first glance, these wagers certainly seem suspicious, which is why Elias was brought up on charges in the first place. However, the penalty kicked did not play out according to Elias’ wagers and there was no real evidence that match-fixing had occurred.
The prosecution believes that the case would have been more successful if Elias had been brought up on charges of conspiracy. The local police are actually considering appealing the court’s decision, as they believe some sort of illegal activity had taken place.
