Bettings Influence on Sports
The discussion on how much influence sports betting has on the sporting world, in general, has lingered for far too long.
For various reasons, these two worlds have collided and this collision has yielded both positive and negative outcomes. We can view this partnership from various viewpoints.
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Financially
On a positive note, a good amount of revenues have been generated by both parties from their relationships over the years. On the flip side, many bettors have become victims of problem gambling due to the heavy presence of gambling activities around sports venues.
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Ethically
The ethics of responsible gambling is threatened over and over again due to the influence of sports promotions and bets. Asides from the culture of responsible gambling, the wrong acts of underage gambling seem to be taking the force due to the presence of sports betting platforms in underage leagues and communities.
On the good side, major independent sports bookmakers at CasinoGap have shed light on the ethical sides of gambling in general. One could now see the bright side to the gambling culture, contrary to the harmful image that has always been portrayed over time.
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Promotionally
Adverts and promotional campaigns all took centre stage in the last decade, thanks to the partnership between gambling and sports. Now, gambling operators can promote their businesses on the biggest stage while more people are drawn to sports due to the adventure of sports betting.
Sadly, these promotions and ads have likewise done some damage to sporting ethics as even underage athletes and non-athletes are now exposed to sports betting at a rather tender age.
In all of these ways, the partnership between sports betting and the sporting world has been a bittersweet tale. To channel this discussion down to a specific view, in this text, we will consider how much influence sports betting has had on the results of many sports over time, as well as the possibility of match-fixing.
The influence of sports betting on sports results is obvious with the rising rate of match-fixing incidents. Match-fixing associated with betting is an issue in various sports. Sportradar, a firm that scrutinizes the integrity of various sports events as an aid to sports federations released statistics recently showing that as many as 1% of the games they monitor are liable to match-fixing. These statistics clearly show how deeply the sporting world has been eaten into by match-fixing and sports betting.
Match Fixing In Sports And Betting
Judging by the weight of the Black Sox scandal involving match-fixing on league matches, British football has not experienced such a degree of match-fixing incidents. However, match-fixing in football has become a significant issue affecting various parts of Europe.
Cricket as another sport has received its fair share of the cut. This sport has witnessed numerous betting and match-fixing reports in the last few years. A major case will be that of Hansie Cronje in the late 1990s, which further led to the World Cup investigations of 2007.
A statement from the head of the anti-corruption department of the ICC, Paul Condon, stated clearly that cricket is the sport that receives the most wagers in the world. As a result, match-fixing is present at every tier of the sport, thereby constituting a major menace.
Big Stakes Could Lead To Corruption And Match-Fixing
It has been reported that one of the leading factors propelling the rising surge of match-fixing and corruption in sports has been the number of huge stakes placed on these games by various punters including sportsmen. This report is the reality of most sports without exception.
The huge earnings of most professional athletes nowadays are supposed to prevent them from being lured to betting on games or even fixing games to favour their bets. However, the case is ironic; as these earnings are instead diverted into staking huge sums of money on the bets they place.
As a ripple effect, these huge stakes drive them towards ensuring that they land these big wins even if it will cost the game its integrity. Most cases of corruption as well as match-fixing that are gambling-related, stem out of bets that have been placed with a huge stake on them.
Big Match Fixing Betting Scandals
Cases of match-fixing have been surfacing even way before sports betting was legalized. Various match-fixing scandals have enveloped the umbworld of sports betting.
· The Black Sox Scandal
· Hansie Crooje and Bob Woolmer’s Scandal in the late 1990s
· In 2011, Turkey saw over a total of 30 players and staff found guilty of match-fixing.
· Similarly, in South Korea, not less than 50 professional soccer players have been prosecuted for this same reason and ten players as well have earned themselves lifetime bans due to match-fixing.
· Two Zambian players plying their sporting trade in Finland were found guilty and over a dozen people are still being investigated presently for their involvements In match-fixing.
Investigations are still ongoing in several countries all around the world. Countries like China, Thailand, Greece, Hungary, Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Israel, Germany, Italy, and Vietnam still have cases of match-fixing being investigated by the appropriate bodies in charge.
