The next big sports betting scandal may have occurred in Spain.
The Spanish police detained Sevilla star Kiki Salas on Monday as part of an investigation into spot-fixing. According to reports, authorities believe the centre-back was intentionally drawing yellow cards to help his co-conspirators win prop bets. They are specifically looking at the last season's final nine games, where Salas picked up seven of his ten yellow cards.
Unlike match-fixing, spot-fixing involves a player altering the outcome of a wager without altering the result of a match. The sentence carries a five-year ban from the sport and up to three years in prison.
Police Spotted an Irregular Betting Pattern
According to authorities, two bettors with connections to Salas placed around 30 bets on his yellow card total over the final month. The bets were spread around six different sportsbooks in Salas’s hometown. That, combined with the uptick in fouls, led the police to confront Salas on Sevilla’s training ground.
When Salas began picking up the cards, Sevilla’s season had already been decided. Once again, they were entrenched in the middle of the La Liga table, both relegation and a top six. Authorities believe that the lack of meaning incentivized Salas to take this risk.
Club Shows Support for Salas
Sevilla boss Xavi Garcia Pimienta didn’t hesitate to express support for his player. He told reporters that he met with Kike Salas soon after he was released from custody. He said the defender seemed calm and collected and will remain available for the club.
While Pimienta stopped short of defending the star, he made it clear that the club won’t turn their back on him quite yet.
Are Player Prop Bets in Trouble?
This Spanish scandal could have an impact on the sports betting market in the US. The country has seen a slew of scandals around the industry, with most involving player prop bets. One of the most notable involved NBA player Jontay Porter, who used a scheme similar to the one Salas is accused of committing.
NCAA President Charlie Baker has been vocal about dropping college player prop betting, but many states still offer it. A ban on player props would protect the integrity of college athletics and help curb the uptick in athlete harassment.
While the Salas investigation is in Spain, soccer betting is popular in the US, meaning lawmakers will follow the story closely. If Salas is convicted, it could create more momentum for removing player prop betting from betting catalogs across the country.
