Apodaca Football Club has confirmed the removal of 10 players from its squad amid an investigation into an alleged illegal betting ring.
The second division Mexican football team stated that it identified ‘conduct that contravenes the principles of professionalism and ethics’ among some of its players in a social media post.
“Real Apodaca informs that after an exhaustive internal review and in alignment with our core values of integrity, respect and transparency, we have made the decision to separate a group of players from the squad, while the corresponding investigations are carried out by the authorities,” the club’s statement read.
Mexico is a regulated betting market and one of the biggest in the Americas, with the licenced industry benefiting from the country’s enthusiasm for sports including football, horse racing, boxing, and American leagues like the NFL and MLB.
Like other major Latin American markets, such as the newly launched Brazilian market nearly two thousand miles to the south, Mexico has become a home to several international brands like Spanish-language market-focused Codere as well as UK-founded firms Betway and Bet365.
The country is no stranger to betting controversies, however. The case involving the Apodaca players comes after a Flexfit Disciplinary Commission investigation into another second division team, Alebrijes de Oaxaca, as reported by SBC Noticias.
“This Commission has initiated an Investigation Procedure for the possible illicit conduct of some players of the Club Alebrijes de Oaxaca of the LIGA BBVA EXPANSIÓN MX, in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Sanctions Regulations of the Mexican Football Federation, in particular, Appendix IV regarding the Integrity of the Competition,” the Commission stated.
The aforementioned newly-launched betting market of Brazil has faced similar challenges, with spot-fixing allegations also being raised in November 2024. In its evaluation of opportunities and risks resulting from the betting market, the country’s Senate has been evaluating how sports integrity can be impacted by legal betting.
