Manchester City announced a regional partnership with 8Xbet in July, in a move that would see the brand become their official Betting Partner in Asia, but the partnership is causing problems due to claims of fraud.
Where will Manchester City finish in the Premier League this season?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th or lower
8Xbet, which was founded in 2018, was believed to be licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission, but The Athletic Investigations Writer Joey D’Urso claimed that was false.
Man City's statement says this website "is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission" which is categorically false. https://t.co/K0fPyt9s0G
— Joey D'Urso (@josephmdurso) July 5, 2022
Philippe Auclair believed the company are just posing as ‘Asian-facing’ as they’re allegedly powered by an Isle of Man company and have links to organised crime.
I actually cannot believe it. Manchester City teams up with another of those 'Asian-facing' bookmakers, 8XBet, who are 'powered' by an Isle of Man company linked to a suspected triad gangster. https://t.co/lnLSSbNnRT
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) July 5, 2022
Fast-forward two months and an investigation into the company and its partnership with Man City reveals alleged fraud. Josimar Football’s piece on the company show the founder has no digital footprint that syncs up with publicly available record and the CEO appears to be using a stolen avatar.
Josimar Football looked into 8XBet’s LinkedIn account and revealed it listed only two employees who didn’t appear legitimate. The company are posing as Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese-facing, but Auclair believes they are UAE-adjacent – a nation where betting is illegal and punishable by a custodial sentence.
Moreover, this bookmaker appears to be run by a PR company operating from the United Arab Emirates. An investigation by @jckkrr, @JournoAndy, @MenarySteve and myself for @JosimarFotball. https://t.co/M9nIcR3H9t
— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) September 20, 2022
Man City generating 'profit' from a bookmaker with highly dubious authenticity operating out of, you guessed it, the United Arab Emirates. The nation where betting is illegal and punishable with a custodial sentence. Welcome to football in 2022. https://t.co/brbxyT79QU
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) September 20, 2022
The findings from this investigation don’t paint City in a good light, as they’re making money from this dubious company.
In other news, Noel Whelan claims Jack Grealish is the victim of a media agenda
Can you name these Man City players from the 2000s? Test your knowledge, take the quiz and challenge your friends and family to beat your score