Man Accused of Courtside Gambling at Australian Open

Various media reports claim that a 22-year-old man from the UK is being accused of courtside gambling at the Australian Open Tournament. Melbourne Police believe a larger gambling group is at work and are attempting to locate the man's accomplices. Allegedly, the man was sending electronic messages using a device hidden in his clothes in an attempt to use the 7-10 second television delay to his advantage when wagering. "It's certainly the first time it's been used in tennis in Victoria and I'm not aware of an example anywhere in the world where courtsiding has been able to be dealt with in a criminal setting," said Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton. The accused stands to face up to 10 years in jail. "We knew we had a threat in existence, and we were then able to identify the individual through the course of monitoring things like CCTV." "As we've seen in terms of overseas trends, courtsiding is only one step away from contacting players and getting engaged in more illicit and more sinister types of sports betting," said Ashton.