Football: Uefa and Betfair Close to Deal to Halt Illicit Gambling

Uefa is believed to be close to signing an agreement with Betfair, Britain's leading betting exchange, that will allow European football's governing body access to evidence of potential corruption in the game.

The two parties are thought to be close to agreeing a "memorandum of understanding" (MOU) that would allow Uefa to request the betting records of individuals whose behaviour leads to a suspicion that corruption has taken place.

An agreement would represent a significant step in football's attempts to stamp out illegal betting and assist Uefa in the detection of match-fixing and other forms of corruption.

Betfair, which has about 90% of the betting exchange market in the UK, already has similar agreements with the Jockey Club, the ATP in men's tennis and the International Cricket Council.

Online betting exchanges are the fastest growth area in gambling. They "match" bets between clients and allow them to bet on events in the normal fashion or to act as bookmaker, "laying" prices for other punters.

The practice of laying prices, effectively backing horses or athletes to lose, has led to concerns that exchanges offer the potential for abuse. By establishing agreements with governing bodies, Betfair will hand over its audit trail, which includes betting and bank account details and computer IP addresses, to the authorities.

Representatives of Betfair and two other UK-based exchanges, Betdaq and Sport ing Options, will today give evidence to the joint parliamentary committee on the Gambling Bill.

The success of exchanges with punters has changed the face of British betting, and left the racing industry scrambling to catch up with the implications both for integrity and income.

The exchanges are likely to face questions from MPs and Lords about their role in several controversial races under investigation by the Jockey Club, the sport's regulator, and their contribution to racing.

On Tuesday Peter Savill, chairman of the British Horseracing Board, told the committee that exchanges "represent an unprecedented and substantial threat to the integrity of racing". He called for licensing of "non-recreational" layers and for individuals' profits to be taxed as well as the exchange, even if they are not betting on racing.

Betfair refused to comment on the Uefa agreement but a spokesman said it would talk to governing bodies in any sport. "Working closely with administrators, and allowing them access to the information we have, is the best way to ensure that sport is kept free of crime."