The first-tier Harrju County Court found Anton Sereda, Nikolai Lõsanov, Anton Lyubeev, Artur Sereda, Andrei Lomov, and Anatoli Lõsanov guilty of fraud committed as a group.

According to the indictment, Anton Sereda and Nikolai Lõsanov had organized a cartel before 2022 specializing in match-fixing to manipulate football match results for financial gain. The charges cover three matches in Estonia and two in Latvia.

To carry out the crime, Sereda and Lõsanov involved football players willing to play to a pre-agreed result, as well as individuals with betting accounts to place bets on the fixed matches.

The court found the charges substantiated, noting that two of the fixed matches were attempted but the intended result was not realized.

In determining the sentences, the court considered that none of the defendants had prior convictions, the crime was second-degree, and the severity of the guilt.

The court imposed suspended sentences: Two years and six months for Anton Sereda, two years for Nikolai Lõsanov, one year and three months for Lyubeev, and one year and one month for Artur Sereda, Lomov, and Anatoli Lõsanov.
The probation periods were three years for Anton Sereda, two years and six months for Nikolai Lõsanov, two years for Lyubeev, and one year and eight months for Artur Sereda, Lomov, and Anatoli Lõsanov.

State Prosecutor Vahur Verte said the decision clarified how the state could bring betting fraudsters to court. "This was not an ordinary fraud case, of which there are dozens each year at Estonian courts," Verte said. "Sport must be fair, and sports results must not be manipulated for financial gain. The court agreed with the prosecution and confirmed this is a crime. Today's decision helps protect the integrity of sport."

"Unfortunately, fixed matches generate criminal revenue for organized crime in Estonia. A Ministry of Culture study from two years ago found nearly one in 10 coaches had participated in fixed matches in the past five years," he added. "A Europol threat assessment identified sports fraud as a major issue, with organized crime earning €120 million annually from betting fraud."

"For this reason, it is crucial, in the court's opinion, that betting fraud related to manipulated sports results is clearly condemned by the state," Verte continued.

The defendants were ordered to pay €1,329 in crime costs and defense counsel fees. The court ruling has not yet entered into force and can be appealed to the Tallinn Circuit Court within 30 days.

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