A sports analytics firm, BetGenius, has released a statement concerning its role in a match manipulation scandal that occurred in Ukraine. Amidst the COVID-19 shutdown, there was a rise in football wagering schemes, including a series of questionable games in Ukraine in late March. These contests, likely exhibition matches organized specifically for betting manipulation, were promoted as a competition known as the “Yaso Cup.”
BetGenius, a provider of sports information, furnished data on these matches to sportsbooks, which then established betting opportunities. It is approximated that as much as $124,000 was staked on these games, with bookmakers probably disbursing payouts to those who influenced the outcomes before detecting the ruse.
BetGenius asserts that while it fell prey to this deception, the matches in question were not “phantom games,” as they were publicly announced and featured actual athletes. Nevertheless, the legitimacy of the tournament was undoubtedly jeopardized for unlawful financial gain.
Our competition’s security protocols require that our data analysts confirm the legitimacy of games using multimedia evidence. This guarantees that the games actually happened, or so we believed. We have since discovered, however, that these games were not officially approved and may have been influenced by illegal organizations for the purpose of wagering scams.
The competition was scheduled to proceed with the subsequent round on March 27th, concluding with the championship and consolation match on March 28th. However, all operations stopped on March 29th, and the corresponding social media page disappeared.
The Football Federation of Ukraine issued a declaration stating that these games could not have transpired. They referenced the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in the nation, which forbid any formal matches. They suspect these were fabricated games designed to enable a deceptive gambling market.
Conversely, Pinnacle, a gambling platform, asserts that some games did transpire, even without complete authorization. They maintain that they possess proof of these games and are prepared to collaborate with both the Football Federation of Ukraine and regional officials to uncover the truth of this matter.
Genius Sports, Pinnacle’s parent organization, has temporarily suspended coverage of lower-tier Ukrainian soccer games.