CoreSportgib
4th February 2016
which there has a yet been any reports
on, but which as the league continues to
develop and prosper opens up the possibility of attracting unwanted sectors.
In comments to the local media last
April Louis Wink, GFA security and integrity officer warned that Gibraltar is at
grave risk of match fixing, further
adding "In one year we have seen over
€4 million bet on the Gibraltar First Division and cup matches. It could be a
breeding ground for criminals.” At the
time the GFA run community workshops
at the John Mackintosh Hall for local
team players and officials focussing on
the dangers of match fixing. Since then
the betting industry has continued to
focus its attention on Gibraltar, and received its own condemnation from some
quarters, the latest coming from Lynx
Marketing & Commercial Director,
Jonathan Costa.
Costa, however, a Marketing & Commercial Director of one of these clubs trying
to enter that elite status in sports, has
his own views on the betting industry.
One which looks at the financial gains
gained by one industry against what
they give back to the same industry they
are profiting from. In a lengthy message
broadcast on the Lynx FC website Costa
comments that "There are now over 34
online gaming companies in Gibraltar
because of its generous tax environment, as they have benefited from lower
corporation tax, no value added tax on
marketing spend and in some cases exemption from gambling duty in the UK –
Those who have a UK presence but are
based offshore are required to pay POC
(point of consumption tax).
”You would think that having such a financial benefit in Gibraltar, one would
be inclined in supporting a local sporting entity or invest in community programmes even if it's just youth
academies. Unfortunately this has never
been the case and on various occasions, through the media, such information has been blocked or removed
completely from an interview and we
ask you why?"
Costa claims that Lynx has "encountered many setbacks from the gaming
industry when approaching them for
sponsorship" pointing out that "they
focus on international top platforms and
premium rights packages – such as the
partnerships with top teams in Europe
that gain coverage and visibility on a
Pan-European level" and that "Subject
to any changes to the current strategy,
they do not support alternative requests, neither on national nor on international levels."
Costa questions why the industry turns
down local clubs requesting for sponsorship deals when he alleges it "reaps
the benefits on our home ground and
generate over £2.5 million worth of bets
which involved Football clubs in Gibraltar". “It is mind boggling," he adds,
"how we have not seen a single penny
invested towards Local sponsorship of
a sporting entity in Gibraltar but also be
removed our rights of expr