Courtsiding is the unethical practice of earning by gambling or betting by spreading information from sporting events. You can find this practice of leaking the news mostly in tennis. So, the name is “Courtsiding.” But it can be seen in other sports like Football, Golf, Horse riding, etc. It results due to delay between live action and television broadcasts. The information usually shared by using unfair means, which helps to promote illegal betting.
People used to attend the sports events not to watch the game but to take part in gambling indirectly as they can place a bet with the live performance. It can help them to place large bets of high amounts. But the timing is essential, i.e. it is essential to set the bid early. Speed is a critical factor for this. It would help if you cooled your mind too. As there is a possibility to make a mistake under time pressure like this. A good system of communication is also essential.
Legal consequences:
It was in Victoria, Australia, in 2013; The match-fixers or gamblers can be jailed for up to 10 years under Integrity In Sports Act. It is a punishable offence under the Gambling Act 2005. But it is not illegal in some other countries.
Occurrences:
In 2013 Australian Open, there was a case of courtsiding, but the necessary legislation was not enough to arrest.
In 2016 US Open, 20 spectators were caught involved in courtsiding and were banned from attending the tournament for 20 years; But one of them was seen in the 2017 competition and got caught by the police.
In the USA, courtsiders have been arrested for “trespassing” as they were banned from events previously.
But Wimbledon is showing a zero-tolerance attitude towards courtsiders, with offenders being caught very quickly and banned for life. Initially, it was not illegal in the United Kingdom, but now it isn’t allowed either.
Is Courtsriding necessary to stop?
The answer is, “Yes.” It needs to be stopped as it is unfair to leak information for gambling. Many countries have taken initiatives to ban this practice in live events and put restrictions on taking unfair means, which help in transmitting the news.
The officials put strict limits on using Mobiles, Laptops and any other communicating devices. Installation of CCTV cameras and other security officials are also appointed to look into this situation. It helped a lot to avoid courtsiding.
So instead of placing a bet through courtsriding, you should follow some good tipsters instead. You’ll find useful information regarding the best horse racing tipsters and football prediction sites here.
