Local authorities arrested an Israeli soccer player in June over allegations of match fixing, illegal gambling, money laundering, and tax offenses. The initial arrest didn’t yield anything, but now another law enforcement agency is stepping in.
Lahav 433’s Sports Gambling and Bribery Division took Omer Dahan, a member of the top-flight team Maccabi Haifa, into custody.
Lahav 433 is a special crime-fighting unit within the Israeli police force. Authorities allege the 25-year-old soccer player had links to an alleged criminal gang from Migdal HaEmek. Police investigated these ties last year.
Dahan was detained as part of a series of arrests arising from the investigation, according to Israeli news outlet Haaretz. The Israel Football Association (IFA) asked a disciplinary court to suspend Dahan for at least 60 days. They cited the “investigation being conducted against the suspect.”
Law enforcement released Dahan after a week in custody. Upon release, Dahan denied the charges in an Instagram post. He said he never harmed any team he played for.
Limited Gambling Options In Israel
The IFA argues that allowing Dahan to continue playing while under investigation would “cast a shadow” over the league. Officials describe the allegations as “extremely serious.” Additionally, the league believes allowing him to continue playing could undermine game integrity.
The Israeli soccer scandal shows that even smaller-population countries – or those with limited gambling options – aren’t immune from sports betting controversies. Israel is a country of only 10.2 million people, about the size of Michigan.
The Israeli Premier League, which includes Maccabi Haifa, is generally ranked outsidlower-tier10 professional leagues around the world. Haaretz reports that top players generally make between $200,000 and $500,000, but lower-tied players can earn much smaller amounts.
The investigation also comes in a country that typically opposes gambling. Most forms of gambling, both land-based and online, are illegal in the country. Horse race wagering was also banned in 2018. However, the Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB) has the exclusive right to organize and regulate sports betting in Israel, and it offers limited wagering options.
Social poker games and a national lottery are allowed but almost all other forms of organized gaming are outlawed. Despite that, there are numerous online gaming companies that make Israel a home base for major parts of their operations.
“This tech-savvy nation boasts a thriving ecosystem of online gambling companies, ranging from software development giants to prominent operators,” Israeli law group Herzog, Fox, and Neeman reports. “One would be hard-pressed to find an online gambling operator without an operation based in Israel, or a link to the country’s gaming industry.
“While Israelis themselves may have limited online gambling options at home, their expertise and ingenuity are fueling the operations of countless international gambling platforms.”
A Growing Trend
This is just the latest gambling scandal to arise in sports. Professional and college teams in the U.S. have faced numerous scandals in recent years. The number accelerated after the Supreme Court overturned the virtual ban on betting outside Nevada in 2018.
Federal officials continue to probe a major NBA betting operation that came to light last October. In February, former MLB star Yasiel Puig was found guilty of lying to federal investigators during an investigation into illegal sports betting.
College sports saw a major controversy this summer after Texas Tech transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby entered treatment after admitting to making numerous bets while a member of the Indiana Hoosiers. He was later ruled ineligible for gambling and the NFL chose not to have a supplemental draft, meaning he will have to wait until next year’s draft to continue his football career.
In 2023, Spanish authorities busted a match-fixing operation that even included table tennis results.
