US Tennis Open Used Internet Filter to Block Online Gambling

Tennis has faced recurring whispers over the last few years regarding match fixing and other corruptions in the game due to Internet gambling.

As part of tennis' ongoing campaign to end rumors of online gambling scandals, the US Open tournament used Internet filters at its Flushing Meadows location this summer to block reception of online casinos. The Open provides free network access to reporters, players, and associates, but wanted to make sure there was no hint of impropriety.

Tennis has faced recurring whispers over the last few years regarding match fixing and other corruptions in the game due to Internet gambling. The Association of Tennis Professionals has formed an independent investigative unit, as well as tightened rules and raised penalties, to preclude any future mishaps with regard to gambling.

Larry Bonfante, the CIO of the US Tennis Association, said filtering Internet content to block online gaming sites was a proactive move to forestall any trouble. The USTA used the iPrism Web filter, developed by St. Bernard's Software. Using the filter allowed the USTA to discover 17,000 attempts to contact online casinos during the two weeks the tournament ran.

Filtering on site may alleviate concerns by the online casinos themselves. An earlier tennis gambling episode involved suspicious characters accessing Internet casinos from the grandstands via laptop, apparently attempting to find a split-second gap between result and online update in which to bet on past results.

Further, online casinos have been among the leaders in working with authorities from tennis organizations, reporting unusual betting patterns or huge amounts bet on obscure plays. After all, the casinos are the target for cheating gamblers, the corruption of the games is merely a tool.