Elgin City Player Denies Match Betting Fraud

Elgin City is a football club that competes in the Scottish League Two, finishing third in this competition last season. Recently, it has drawn national attention due to its striker, 25-year-old Kane Hester, getting accused of match betting fraud.

The charges stem from an on-pitch foul committed during a Scottish Betfred League Cup match by Hester on July 26 of 2019. The prosecutor alleges that Hester, with three co-conspirators, collected £13,583 in winnings from bet365 due to an intentionally acquired yellow card. The names of his partners in crime are Calvin Parrot, Brodie Myers, and Findlay Soutar.

The quartet allegedly met a week before the match and agreed that Hester should purposely commit a foul during it, one that would be egregious enough to warrant a booking from the referee. Then, the team set out to place five separate bets on Hester getting booked during the game.  On July 26, Kane Hester did receive a yellow card for stamping a Hibs player, which led to the men winning their wagers.

All four accused men deny the charges. However, they will appear in front of the Dundee Sheriff Court’s later this year. There are strict rules to follow when it comes to betting, particularly for footballers, many of which go beyond the legal system. We elaborate on this below.

Why Footballers Cannot Bet on Matches

Naturally, players cannot wager on matches they participate in or ones that their team plays without them in the squad. The reasons why this is not allowed are clear. Participants can directly or indirectly affect the outcome of the game.

Betting is an activity that involves putting down money on uncertain events. In large part, it is chance-based. If someone can impact the match outcome, the element of unpredictability gets removed. Thus, that brings about criminal fraud charges.

Furthermore, it is not only the legal system that concerns itself with this issue. Sports leagues have to uphold the integrity of the game as well. The FA has a firm stance against footballers placing bets or passing essential club information to other bettors. Such acts can result in a yearly or permanent worldwide ban from the sport. The same applies to club personnel and officials who engage in such nefarious activities.

Famous Match Betting Scandals

One of the most famous football scandals in history got uncovered in 2006 when telephone interception showed a relationship between Italian referee organizations and Serie A team managers. Transcripts showed that specific general managers affected referee selection. Fans nicknamed the corruption scandal Calciopoli or Football-gate.

There are also many examples of players breaking the rules. In 2010, South Korean player Choi Sung-Kuk got implicated in match-fixing while playing for Sangmu. He admitted to manipulating the results in two matches and received a life ban from any football-related activity.

In 2019, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes faced misconduct charges for placing 140 bets in four years while he was co-owner of Salford City. He admitted his guilt and paid an £8,000 fine.