disappointed☹️
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
"Not even remotely surprised": James Blake breaking betting rules doesn't feign shock from tennis fans
ATPFriday, 23 February 2024 at 01:00
Fans
reacted to the sanction on James Blake after the fine for ties to betting
sponsorships. The current director of the Miami Open violated the betting
regulation, wherein tennis players, coaches, officials, and tournament
organizers are not allowed to have commercial ties with betting companies.
The fine
was $56,250 imposed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, and Blake
must adhere to an 18-month probation period, facing the threat of a larger fine
exceeding $131,250 in the event of another breach of the rule.
The ITIA
confirmed the sanction on Wednesday, February 21, emphasizing that Blake fully
cooperated with the investigation: "Tournament Director and former tennis
player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting
sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not
contest the charge," the ITIA wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Journalist
Ben Rothernberg shared the news and commented on the growing culture of
betting, especially in the United States: “This is, by my count, the third time
a prominent retired American player has gotten penalized over a tennis betting
sponsorship. As legal betting explodes across America, the money on offer is
forcing errors," he wrote on X.
The fans'
reaction was swift, with many expressing that they were not surprised by the
situation, given that the United States is one of the countries where sports
betting is prevalent.
"Not
even remotely surprised about this, considering all the shady bs I know happens
behind the scenes (not just betting-related). And yes, betting infects sports
globally, but the USA is its epicentre... with USTA, Tennis Channel & most
of the tournaments very heavily involved," some fan wrote.
Another fan
expressed the opinion that the rule should be applied "at every level: “If
this doesn’t apply at every level, it can’t apply at any. You can’t have a
situation where organisations can have betting sponsorships but individuals
can’t. It can be a conflict of interest for orgs too”
Here are
some other reactions from fans on social media:
“Across our members – the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slams – the rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies." ATP/WTA tournaments can have betting companies as sponsors but tournament directors better stay away from them...
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
As a tournament director...
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
The sponsorship money may be worth the fine - or maybe they're cover it for him. Tennis's relationship with betting is such a bad look because they can't protect the players.
"This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption. The rules apply to players, coaches, officials and accredited tournament staff - who all have the ability to influence results or have access to inside information. "We urge anyone in the sport who is unclear or…
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
disappointed☹️
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
Holy fucking shit, James, no!
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
🙄
Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has been fined following a breach of tennis betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.
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