Court Lets Ex-Table Tennis Player Who Bet on 1000+ Fixed Matches in 2020 Off the Hook 

^{Pictured: Adam Michael Green, a former table tennis player} 

A former table tennis player who bet on over 1000 fixed matches in 2020 has avoided prison time, ABC News reports.

The player, Adam Michael Green, 43, admitted that he teamed up with a Ukrainian accomplice who had insider information on rigged matches in Eastern European table tennis tournaments. Green used multiple gaming accounts with local bookmakers to place his bets.

Green said that he made 1170 bets in 7 months in 2020, earning about $473,000.

However, most of the money went to his Ukrainian partner, who masterminded the scheme. Green only kept around $50,000 for himself.

The court spared him from prison, as it found that he had a severe gambling addiction that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Green worked as a taxi driver, but he lost his income due to the pandemic. He then became obsessed with betting, and saw an opportunity to make money by betting on fixed matches. The only events available for betting at that time were dubious table tennis tournaments, such as the Setka Cup.

Green also showed genuine remorse for his actions and cooperated fully with the investigation. He had no previous criminal record.

The court sentenced him to mandatory treatment for his gambling addiction, 100 hours of community service, and a 3-year ban from having gaming accounts.