Argentina Begins Betting Probe Into YouTuber Who Played Primera Division Soccer Game

Posted on: November 13, 2024, 02:14h. 

Last updated on: November 13, 2024, 02:28h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

Argentine authorities have launched an investigation into possible illegal betting after a popular YouTuber made his shock debut playing in a top-tier league soccer game on Monday.

Spreen, Deportivo Riestra, Ivan Buhajeruk, Argentine Primera Division, gambling
Spreen, aka Ivan Buhajeruk, pictured playing for Deportivo Riestra in the Argentine Primera Division on Monday, despite having no experience as a professional soccer player. He lasted 50 seconds. (Image: Olé))

Ivan Buhajeruk, 24, better known to his nine million Spanish-speaking social media followers as “Spreen,” took to the field as a striker for Deportivo Riestra in the Argentine Primera Division on Tuesday afternoon, despite having no experience as a professional soccer player.

The influencer was subbed off by Deportivo coach Cristian Fabbiani after 50 seconds without touching the ball. The game against Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield ended in a 1-1 draw.

Betting Frenzy

Deportivo is known for its off-the-wall marketing, and the incident was ostensibly a publicity stunt to promote an energy drink. But Argentina’s Specialized Prosecutor on Gambling said Monday that it launched an investigation into “whether Fabbiani and Buhajeruk had the intention of attracting gamblers on illegal platforms.”

Following the announcement that Spreen would start the game, which came one hour before kick-off, many betting sites offered odds on the influencer’s performance, with popular bets including whether he would make it to the second half or score a goal.

BetWarrior posted on the X platform that if Spreen scored, it would give away 47 free bets to anyone who liked its tweet. Other sites offering odds included BPlay, 1XBet, and Betsson.

Argentina regulates internet gambling on a province-by-province basis. Some provinces license online betting and others do not. Of the above sites, all have licenses from at least one Argentine jurisdiction, except for 1XBet, which has none.

Bad Press

Brewing betting scandal or not, the stunt was poorly received by most involved in Argentine soccer. It prompted the Argentine Football Association (AFA) to open its own investigation via its ethics tribunal to determine whether Deportivo had engaged in “conduct likely to damage the reputation and integrity of Argentine football.”

In a statement, AGA President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia lamented that some kids take their own lives because they don’t make it in soccer and never get to walk out on the field as a Primera Division player.

When there are things you really disapprove of, they must be corrected,” he added. “[…] These are things that need correction because they cannot happen.”

For Spreen, the whole thing had been a blast, although he told his X followers Tuesday that he was sensitive to the criticism of the stunt.

“I was given the anecdote of my life and, of course, I accepted it,” he said. “I didn’t take anyone’s place. If anyone felt that we disrespected them in any way, I want to apologize. That was not our intention.”