‘Courtsiding’ jumps into spotlight after arrest
Print Edition
It’s the climax of a grand slam singles match and everyone in the crowd is on their feet clapping and cheering — with the exception of one man who remains firmly rooted to his chair.
His interest in the score is as intense as the other spectators but his priority is to transmit the result of each point to someone often several thousand kilometers away via an electronic device in his pocket.
Meet the “courtsider,” someone whose purpose is to exploit the seconds between the action on court concluding and the scores reaching the outside world via the umpire’s digital scorecard.
He might be placing bets on matches from the side of the court himself or sending live scores or statistics to a third party, who can use the information to bet or give it to clients.
Getting the information out a few seconds earlier gives them the opportunity to bet before the odds are adjusted by the bookmakers or on betting exchanges like Betfair.
Bookmakers know all about the time delay, of course, and that is why they do not allow customers to gamble on the following point with most of the betting in these situations done on the outright match market.
Courtsiding came into focus at this year’s Australian Open when 22-year-old British man Daniel Dobson was arrested on the second day of the tournament and charged with “engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome.”
Dobson will appear again at Melbourne magistrates today.
Defenders of courtsiding say it is not related to match-fixing or illegal betting and gaining the edge over a bookmaker should not be a criminal offense.
Australian Open organizers, however, feel it is part of a wider picture that threatens to damage the sport.
“What I’m talking about is the integrity of the sport,” said Craig Tiley, the CEO of Tennis Australia and the Australian Open tournament director.
“My view is that what they’re doing is pushing the boundaries of what you would consider to be acceptable in integrity, relative to the sport.”
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