MADRID, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- The head of the Madrid Masters told Bloomberg News that the men's tennis tour may ban 15 professional gamblers from attending tournaments.
The event starts Monday.
A tournament director told the U.S. business news service that gamblers were placing bets on site to exploit a 20-second delay in scores being received by bookmakers.
Tournament Director Gerard Tsobanian said officials have compiled a list of names and credit card numbers of 15 bettors they want excluded.
The Association of Tennis Professionals is cracking down on betting scams.
"It's a very international list," Tsobanian said. "Some of the gamblers have tried to get into past tournaments by posing as journalists."
In an e-mail message, ATP spokesman Kris Dent declined comment "on the specifics of many measures we have in place to deal with integrity measures."
Dent said the ATP will use "between five and 10" plainclothes security guards during matches with world No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain to check that no bets are being placed.
