The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) has been forced to issue a clarification, after claiming that Curacao-licensed bookmaker Pinnacle Sports had refused to share betting data with it. Nigel Willerton, Director of the TIU, told the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee that Pinnacle had refused to share betting data with the TIU. “They won’t at this present time sign an MOU [memorandum of understanding] with us so that we can exchange information”, said Willerton during the CMS Committee inquiry into match-fixing in tennis.

“My answer to the Chair of the Select Committee was based on the understanding that Pinnacle’s reluctance to agree a MoU was in respect of the Terms and Conditions of their Privacy Policy with customers, which I interpreted as being a commercial consideration”, said Willerton via an e-mailed statement. “I am happy to accept confirmation from Pinnacle Sports that this is not the case and customer privacy policy is the issue we need to resolve in reaching a co-operative working relationship in the near future”.

Marco Blume, Head of Trading at Pinnacle Sports said: “Pinnacle Sports is absolutely open to working actively with the TIU. When it comes to disclosing a customers’ personal data, however, we require a legitimate request from the police or another competent authority. As clarified by Mr. Willerton, the reluctance of Pinnacle Sports to supply customer data to the TIU was not for the benefit of our commercial interests but due to our data privacy regulations as reflected in our Privacy Policy, the adherence to which we take very seriously. We look forward to cooperating with the TIU whenever possible moving forward”.