The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Athens

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will set up a special unit at the upcoming Beijing Games to monitor "abnormal" betting patterns and take action, IOC President Jacques Rogge said on Friday.

"We have signed an agreement with the major, I would say the bona fide betting companies," Rogge said.

"We rely on them to advise us if there is an abnormal pattern in bettingtit is their interest to work with us, and our interest to work with them," he told a news conference at the close of a three-day meeting by the IOC executive board in Athens.

Rogge said the IOC unit would also work closely with Interpol to monitor "suspicious" activity and inform the international federations involved.

But he noted that the unit will not be "people in a bunker with balaclavas over their heads."

Unlicensed betting, and possible links to match-fixing by athletes or sports officials themselves, has been a growing concern with the massive expansion of gambling on the Internet worldwide.

The Beijing Olympics open on August 8.