2022 football World Cup: Qatar losing a 'good bet'

2022 football World Cup was suspended by a UK bookmaker because of new allegations about the bidding process. Gala Coral Group stopped accepting wagers because its odds makers believe there's a good chance the tournament will be taken away from the emirate, spokesman John Hill said.

Mohammed bin Hammam, a former football executive from Qatar, paid more than $5 million to influence officials before tournament voting in 2010, the UK's Sunday Times newspaper reported.

Former US federal prosecutor Michael Garcia is leading a probe for soccer ruling body FIFA into the 2018 and 2022 bidding process and is scheduled to submit his team's findings next month.

The Sunday Times allegations, based on what it called millions of leaked e-mails, put FIFA "into a very difficult situation," according to Mark Pieth, a Swiss anti-corruption expert who led a panel of governance advisers set up by FIFA in 2011. The ruling body could face "the most formidable lawsuits" from Qatar if it strips the emirate of the 2022 tournament, he said by phone.

Change in Favourites

The US, which also bid, is the even-money favourite to get the event if it's taken away from Qatar, Gala Coral said on its website. South Korea is a 9-4 chance, followed by Japan and Australia. FIFA's board awarded the hosting duties to the 2018 and 2022 events during the same vote. Russia won the 2018 and Qatar the 2022 tournament.