Rumors swirl in Brazil about a potential “phantom match” controversy, mirroring a similar event that transpired in Ukraine earlier this year.
For the uninitiated, a “phantom match” is a game that solely exists in the digital realm – promoted as an actual event with betting platforms open for enthusiastic gamblers, yet never truly taking place.
The match under scrutiny, allegedly between Brazilian clubs Andrews FC and Gremio Serrano, has sparked suspicion due to the astonishing £1.4 million ($1.7 million) gambled on its result.
Furthering the intrigue, Gremio Serrano’s legal representative, Lucas Bezerra, asserts the team never even assembled a squad, despite accounts of over 200 bookmakers presenting odds on the contest.
Conversely, Andrews FC’s attorney, Malus Dalledone, maintains the match was indeed conducted.
This supposed hoax bears unsettling resemblances to the Ukrainian “phantom match” affair, which prompted data supplier Sportradar to release a statement to Gambling Insider.
They disclosed that their algorithms marked four Ukrainian football games as dubious, despite these matches being advertised as legitimate fixtures, even cup tournaments between professional teams. Sportradar, like numerous others in the sector, fell prey to this intricate scheme.