Britain’s biggest bookmakers have suspended betting on Lucas Paqueta being booked due to integrity concerns. Mail Sport has been told that at least six major high street firms including West Ham shirt sponsor Betway have withdrawn the Paqueta yellow card market on legal advice.
The sudden move has been described by industry sources as a short-term measure to protect bookmakers following Mail Sport’s revelation a fortnight ago that the FA are investigating suspicious betting activity surrounding bookings received by Paqueta, which led to the collapse of an £85million transfer to Manchester City.
This newspaper subsequently revealed the three bookings being scrutinised, which took place in Premier League matches against Aston Villa and Leeds last season, and in West Ham’s opening game of this season against Bournemouth.
West Ham sponsor Betway took many of the initial suspicious bets ahead of the club’s home game against Villa last March, which they reported to anti-corruption officers.
The online gambling firm have reacted by suspending all betting on West Ham players to be booked at Luton in Friday evening’s Premier League fixture.
Britain’s biggest bookmakers have suspended betting on Lucas Paqueta (pictured) being booked due to integrity concerns
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/09/01/16/74965399-12470839-image-a-19_1693582640650.jpg)
The FA are currently investigating suspicious betting activity surrounding bookings received by Paqueta (left)
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In addition, William Hill, Bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power and SkyBet have all removed markets on Paqueta to be booked.
The widespread market suspensions are understood to have been decisions taken independently by bookmakers following talks with their legal departments this week, which did not involve the FA.
Bookmakers have been slow to react to news of the Paqueta investigation, with Betway making him their favourite to be booked in West Ham’s next game against Chelsea two days later, which he was.
The FA are likely to be pleased with bookmakers’ belated moves however, as they are lobbying for all yellow card markets to be removed on integrity grounds, as Mail Sport reported last week: West Ham declined to comment.