VAR official spotted browsing mobile betting app before officiating Bulgarian match

IMAGO

A VAR official, working for UK-based Hawk-Eye Innovations, has been suspended by the company after he was spotted on a mobile betting site before kick-off. The footage was broadcast live before the Bulgaria Parva Liga match between PFC CSKA-Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Sofia. 

A representative for the company, which is part of the Sony Sports Innovations Group, has said that it goes against contractual terms for officials to bet while holding an official position with the company. 

To learn more about responsible gambling, visit our responsible gambling in sports betting page which also offers resources and advice on where to seek help if needed. 

Hawk-Eye Innovations has said that it will be investigating the individual during his suspension and that it may lead to the termination of his contract, for gross misconduct.

Before the 2 April match between PFC CSKA-Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Sofia, TV footage showed images of VAR officials preparing for the game. At the bottom of the screen, one official can be seen accessing a betting site on his mobile phone. 

Although it isn’t possible to make out details, as soon as the VAR company, Hawk-Eye Innovations, was made aware of the footage, they released a statement saying they had suspended the official concerned. 

They went on to say: “If the individual has been found to have been engaging in such inappropriate activity, we will look to dismiss the individual in accordance with their contractual terms.”

Like referees and assistant referees, video assistant referee officials are prohibited from betting on matches, as they could be in a position to influence on-field decisions.

Hawkeye technology has been used in sports since the turn of the 21st century. Initially used for television purposes only, the technology has been used in tennis since 2006 and cricket since 2009. 

Originally, it was introduced in football matches during the 2013/14 season as goal-line technology and has been used more extensively since 2016. 

Today, it is used in leagues around the world to verify or challenge referees’ on-field decisions, giving VAR officials a lot of power over match outcomes. 

It would be more difficult for a VAR official to fix matches or directly influence the outcome of the match itself, as they cannot overrule the decision of on-field officials. But modern betting sites enable bets on virtually every aspect of games, even including VAR interventions. 

Globally, match officials are banned from betting on games. They are also prohibited from placing bets on other football-related matters or asking friends or family to place bets on their behalf. 

There have been high-profile cases of referees being found guilty of match-fixing and betting on games. German referee Robert Hoyzer was found guilty of fixing 23 matches between April and December 2004. 

However, while referees have been found guilty of these charges, the recent incident may be the first case of a VAR official.

Currently, there is no suggestion that the VAR official is guilty of fixing games, but Hawk-Eye Innovations has acted swiftly to suspend him, saying: “Hawk-Eye fully recognises the necessity for its personnel to act at all times with the highest levels of professionalism and integrity in its trusted position working with the Bulgarian Football Union and other customers, and the company has strong policies in place that explicitly forbid its employees and contractors from engaging in any betting activity in any sports or competitions where it provides officiating services.”