Three Tennis Umpires from Dominican Republic Banned for Score-Fixing to Cash In on Bets

Three tennis officials from the Dominican Republic have been banned from the sport after manipulating match scores to profit from bets, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on its website.

The violations, which took place between 2018 and 2021, involved deliberate input of false scores into the courtside data systems. These manipulated scores were picked up by betting platforms, allowing the umpires — who were in on the scheme — to place wagers with guaranteed outcomes.

The harshest penalty was handed down to chair umpire Luis Rodriguez, who received a lifetime ban from the sport along with a $15,000 fine.

Two other officials, Antonio Sosa and Wellingthon Lopez, received bans of five and four and a half years, respectively. Combined, they were also fined $4,000.

All three are barred from officiating matches or even attending any tennis events overseen by the sport’s governing bodies for the full duration of their suspensions.