FA and Betfair join forces

The Football Association and online betting exchange Betfair have joined forces in a bid to halt illegal gambling.

The Football Association and online betting exchange Betfair have joined forces in a bid to halt illegal gambling.

Football's governing body has signed a memorandum of understanding with Betfair which will give it greater access to data held on punters suspected of using the exchange illegally.

Betting exchanges, which allow punters to lay and match bets online, have been criticised by traditional bookmakers. They claim unscrupulous operators are using the sites to gamble on events where they already know the result.

Miles Rodgers, the man behind the Platinum Racing syndicate, was disqualified from racing for two years by the Jockey Club last week after being found guilty of laying two of his club's beaten horses to lose on a betting exchange.

However, Betfair and other exchanges have in the past countered that corruption in sport and gambling is not knew, and that their model allows for greater transparency.

Betfair is also seeking to make it harder for people to use exchanges illegally by signing a series of memorandums. As well as the latest deal with the FA, it has signed further MoUs with various sporting bodies, including the Cricket Club.

Betfair's chief executive, Stephen Hill, said: "Working closely with sporting regulators, and allowing them access... is the best way to ensure that sport is kept free of crime."