Undercover Spotters Catch Wimbledon Betting Spies

This year marks the first time Wimbledon officials have used undercover operatives embedded within the crowd to detect “courtsiders.” These are syndicate agents who transmit live point updates faster than the official broadcast to exploit split-second delays in betting markets.

Wimbledon Deploys Undercover Agents to Catch Betting Spies

Some of these courtsiders have already been removed from the stands at this year’s tournament. Courtsiders are individuals who transmit match data before the umpire officially records the point and it appears on broadcast, allowing them to exploit betting markets with millisecond advantages.

While courtsiding in tennis isn’t new (it was first flagged during the 2013 Australian Open), Australia initially had no legal tools to combat it. That changed later that year when Victoria passed the Crimes Amendment (Integrity in Sports) Act 2013, making courtsiding a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The following year, British national Daniel Dobson became the first person arrested under the new law after he was caught transmitting live point data using a device hidden in his shoe. Courtsiding remains legal in both the UK and the US, but it is strictly prohibited by tennis governing bodies in both countries and internationally.

How Do Courtsiders Work, And What Is Being Done About Them?

Courtsiders typically use concealed technology, such as modified smartphones and hidden earpieces, to carry out their activities. This gives gambling syndicates, some potentially tied to organized crime, a significant advantage in in-play betting markets, where wagers are placed on specific moments within a match rather than just the final outcome.

Until now, efforts to counter gambling syndicates at Wimbledon have largely focused on monitoring suspicious betting activity. However, discussions on a courtsiders’ online forum indicate that tournament organizers have stepped up their tactics. According to The Daily Mail, one forum user claimed they were identified within 15 minutes of arriving at Wimbledon. This happened before even entering a court, which suggests that facial recognition technology may be in use to detect repeat offenders.

According to a Daily Mail source, Wimbledon is regarded as a bastion of integrity and fair play, with organizers going to great lengths to prevent any attempts to exploit the sport. According to officials, monitoring courtsiders demands substantial time, effort, and expertise, particularly as their activity has surged alongside the growth of in-play gambling.