Match Fixing
Match fixing has been around for as long as sport itself to some degree, but as betting on sport has become more prevalent, so match fixing has become more organised. In the last few weeks alone there have been several large-scale investigations into match fixing across a range of sports, with criminal elements in multiple countries being accused of match fixing for the purpose of defrauding sports betting organisations. Fortunately, although match fixing is a deplorable fact of life, there are things that the average sports betting enthusiast can do to avoid being stung by the activity.
First, it is important to recognise that match fixing tends to take place in events where competitors are relatively poorly paid. It is extremely rare for high-profile football or cricket teams to be involved in match fixing because the players are so well paid that bribing them (assuming they were open to being bribed in the first place) would be incredibly expensive for the criminal organisations concerned. Instead, the criminals target less famous teams and/or competitors who can be bribed for much lower amounts.
Next, remember that for match fixing to succeed it must go undetected. This fact makes it highly unlikely that criminal organisation will try and fix events where the whole world is watching. Lower key events that receive relatively little attention from the mainstream sporting media are much more susceptible to fixing.
When you understand those two facts you can automatically avoid a huge amount of match-fixing risk by focusing your betting activities on high-profile teams in mainstream sports where matches will be fully scrutinised by the media. Of course, this does not mean that you have to completely ignore other sports betting events, but it would be wise to take the risk of match fixing into account when deciding on your stake for smaller and lower-profile events.
It should go without saying that the vast majority of sporting events are perfectly honest and legal, and that match fixing occurs in only a tiny minority of games. However, the fact that match fixing does take place in an organised way is reason enough to protect your own best interests by heeding the advice presented here. Add in the habit of betting only with reputable sports betting organisations and you should be able to win or lose according to your own skill and judgement, and not according to the results that criminal gangs have illegally engineered.
Article Published: 26/05/2010 14:27:31
