Kieran Maguire: Man City ‘blinded by the cheque’ as MPs demand investigation
Man City have been “blinded by the cheque” in their relationship with controversial bookmaker 8XBET.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the latest details to emerge regarding the Asian-facing platform.
Critics suggest that the company has a white-label website, essentially meaning that it is a ploy to reach customers in markets where gambling is prohibited.
There have also been a number of irregularities regarding the company’s staff, with stock photos used for profiles of directors who are untraceable online.
A new investigation published by the Daily Mail has found that 8XBET last Saturday (21 January) found that 8XBET is part of the TGP network, whose various betting brands have deals with 10 Premier League clubs.
The shadowy conglomerate has in turn been found to be associated with Chinese billionaire Alvin Chau, who was recently jailed for 18 years for his involvement in organised crime and illicit gambling activity.
MPs have now called for an investigation into TGP’s involvement in the Premier League.
Maguire claims City have simply taken the largest offer on the table.
“The main issue from the club’s point of view is that provided the sponsor has a UK gambling license, everything is legitimate,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams,
“They will take the maximum amount of money on offer, regardless of where it comes from. They are blinded by the cheque.
“If there is an investigation into TGP, that could make things more challenging going forward. It would make things look uncomfortable if that all-parliamentary group get their wish and an investigation is launched.
“Almost all of these organisations are non-UK-facing. They don’t take bets in the UK and their UK websites are very minimal.
“It is very much focused on the Asian markets and betting customers, which is why they are ‘white label’ websites.”
In other news, pundit claims Man City stars could “explode” after dressing room reveal.