KL2017: Cops keeping an eye on football betting

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will be keeping an eye on betting involving football matches in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
The football competition kicks off on Monday.
Federal Police (Bukit Aman) Secret Socities, Gambling and Vice Division (D7) principal assistant director Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa said monitoring on football betting would be done together with FA of Malaysia's Football Integrity Committee.
He said those found betting on the matches could be jailed and fined under Section 6 (3) of the Betting Act 1953, if convicted.
"So far we have not detected any cases, However, we do not discount the possibility that betting (on matches) will take place. This will most likely be done online," he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, HELP University Institute of Crime and Criminology director Datuk Akhbar Satar said the SEA Games football competition would be a "magnet" for illegal bookmakers and punters alike.

"Police must keep watch. We fear big syndicates like what happened during the European Cup will surface. If not handled well, international syndicates will also get on the bandwagon.
"It is a lucrative trade where one can rake in millions," he said. — Bernama