Günter Tuncel fights against illegal betting in Bremen amateur football

Günter Tuncel fights against illegal betting in Bremen amateur football

There are signs of change in Bremen amateur football. Günter Tuncel, a respected official in the Bremen Football Association (BFV), is campaigning with all his might against illegal betting practices in the amateur sector. Tuncel, who comes from a large refugee family and works as a social worker in Bremen, not only strived for sporting success as coach of SV Hemelingen, but also wanted to protect the integrity of football. Despite missing out on promotion to higher leagues, he has clear visions for the future, including the establishment of a modern stadium.

However, the problem of illegal betting on amateur football matches is not new. Reports from Bremen show that players are even betting on their own games, which is jeopardizing sporting fairness. According to the BFV, betting on amateur and youth games is prohibited in Germany in accordance with the State Treaty on Gambling. Nevertheless, there are numerous illegal betting offers, especially from abroad. Weser Kurier has reported on these worrying developments.

Obligations against betting manipulation

Tuncel has initiated a two-page “declaration of commitment against match-fixing and sports betting” that is intended to reach all clubs in the Bremen League. This declaration stipulates that betting and any form of influencing the competition are prohibited. Clear rules are intended to ensure that offers of manipulation must be reported immediately. The aim is to reduce the pressure on players, who have even been threatened in the past in order to influence the outcome of games. These measures are also to be understood as part of the BFV's prevention strategy, which has already anchored offenses against match-fixing and betting bans in its criminal code.

The website of the Bremer Football Association points out that active participation in illegal betting transactions can have serious legal consequences and that bans for all players, referees and coaches are clearly defined. The BFV calls on interested clubs to find out about prevention options and, if necessary, to use the forms provided, even if there is no obligation to use them.

An international betting market

The situation is further complicated by foreign betting sites offering bets on amateur games, thereby increasing the vulnerability to manipulation. Data from amateur games is often supplied to the betting industry to enable live betting - despite the ban. Tagesschau has revealed that over 2,700 amateur games in Germany were recently recorded by so-called data scouts. These scouts broadcast game events in real time, which is of great interest to betting providers.

The dangers of gambling are now known, and psychologist Tobias Hayer highlights the high addictive potential of live betting. After all, around 1.3 million people in Germany are considered addicted to gambling, including many amateur footballers. This development increases the pressure on those responsible to take effective measures to free amateur football from illegal influences.

Given the complexity of this issue, it remains to be seen whether the BFV's new measures will have the desired effect. However, past experiences show that there is a lot to be done to ensure the long-term integrity of amateur football in Bremen.