Despite there being no signs of match-fixing yet, the Argentine Football Association decided to sideline Matías Beares due to the severity of the situation.
Argentina.- Matías Beares is the referee who has recently been expelled from his squad after being accused of engaging in sports betting. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) decided to remove him following a match in the Primera Nacional in October, between Deportivo Madryn and Almirante Brown, which ended with a 5-1 victory for the home team.
The Buenos Aires City Lottery and the betting house bplay filed the complaint after it was discovered that Beares, along with another user, Federico Calderón, were betting on a sports betting site linked to the match between Madryn and Brown.
See also: Alleged match manipulation: accusations against the AFA and its leaders
It was reported that Beares had bet more than AR $500,000 (USD 500) on the outcome of the first half, the final score, among other key moments of the match. Moreover, according to records, he made a profit of over AR $2m from his bets, raising suspicions about the legality of his participation.
The Buenos Aires City Lottery and bplay reported that the amount bet on that match amounted to AR$12 m (USD 12,000), with profits close to AR$ 35 m (USD 35,000).
In November, following the viralization of Whatsapp conversations between referee Nicolás Jara and a bettor where they coordinated how the confrontations should unfold, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) decided to suspend him from his activities while an internal investigation is underway.
