European Authorities Uncover Major Tennis Match-Fixing Scheme Worth Around €800,000

Law enforcement agencies from France, Bulgaria, Spain, and Romania have dismantled a criminal network that organized a large-scale match-fixing scheme in professional tennis. According to Eurojust — the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation — the group operated between 2018 and 2024, securing substantial betting profits for clients by pre-determining the outcomes of matches.

During a coordinated operation, 15 suspects were arrested: nine in France, four in Bulgaria, and one each in Romania and Spain. Searches were conducted across several countries, leading to the seizure of electronic devices and documents confirming the illegal activity.

The investigation began after a series of suspicious matches in which higher-ranked players unexpectedly lost and made uncharacteristic errors during key moments. These anomalies drew attention from sports analysts and betting companies.

Subsequent analysis revealed that the same users repeatedly placed bets on these matches — almost always on specific players to lose or to drop a set. Investigators found consistent betting patterns and timing overlaps that pointed to coordinated manipulation.

Authorities also discovered that some bettors created new accounts solely for certain events to conceal their activity. Bets were often placed simultaneously from multiple countries and contradicted the live dynamics of play — further reinforcing suspicions of match-fixing.

According to investigators, the organizers paid several players ranked outside the ATP top 100 to intentionally lose matches. Financial traces indicate that the operation was primarily run out of Bulgaria, with intermediaries in other countries. The estimated proceeds of the criminal network amount to roughly €800,000.

Eurojust has not yet disclosed the names of the detained individuals or the players involved.

Earlier, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reported that the number of potential match-fixing cases in the third quarter of 2025 had nearly tripled compared to the previous quarter.