Taiwan court hands up to seven-year sentences to 15 for match-fixing in SBL involving Yulon Luxgen Dinos

A Taipei district court has found 15 individuals — including 10 former players of the Yulon Luxgen Dinos, a former coach and four online bookmakers — guilty of conspiring to fix games in Taiwan’s Super Basketball League (SBL). The longest sentence handed down is seven years.

The Shilin District Court found that the group collaborated to manipulate match results in six games between December 27, 2022 and May 21, 2023. Tactics included dribbling the ball out of bounds, refusing to pass to teammates and making intentionally poor passes.

Former veteran player Ko Min‑hao was identified by the court as the core figure in the scheme and received the maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment. Other players received sentences ranging from 1 year and 8 months to 5 years and 2 months. The bookmaker and accomplices were sentenced to between 8 months and 2 years, some with suspended terms.

In addition, the Senegalese national player Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Sarr will be deported after serving his sentence, as the court ruled he is not fit to remain in Taiwan.

The verdict emphasises the Taiwanese judiciary’s strict posture on sporting integrity, particularly in the context of regulated betting and the risk of match-fixing in professional leagues. For the regulated gambling and sports-integrity sectors, the case stands as a clear warning of risks tied to corruption, match manipulation and unlicensed betting links