First Tennis Player Sanctioned for Betting on Tennis
12th November, 2007
Alessio Di Mauro has become the first tennis player to be sanctioned by the ATP for betting on games, amid the match-fixing scandal in the sport. He claims the sanction is too harsh and he is being treated as a scapegoat for those accused of match-fixing.
He told the Gazzetta: “The sentence is too harsh, I made a silly mistake and I'm being punished excessively. I could go down in history as the only player banned for betting in tennis.” He was found guilty of making 120 bets with an online bookmaker, which faces a maximum of pentalty of three years. The 124th- ranked player in the world has been banned from playing the game for nine months, and fined a total of $60,000.
“Match-fixing is much more serious than betting. There's a big difference between someone who has a ‘vice’ for betting on many sports - from soccer to basketball to volleyball and sometimes also on tennis - and someone who sells matches,” said Di Mauro. He went on to explain that he only bet in very small amounts, around £10 at a time, and went on to lose money, but he did not consult the guidelines on betting provided by the ATP.
“(Match fixing) is on the same level as doping, because it's a lack of respect for everyone, from the opponent to the fans. I don't understand English that well, I was more worried with the anti-doping rules and which substances were banned. I suffer from allergies, but not to risk anything, I don't take any drugs. Really, I didn't think I would ever get into trouble for betting.”
