By Constantinos Massonos, Contributor
Evidence of sports betting dates back to the beginning of competitive sports in Ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome. Today, growing digital infrastructure and an increasing number of sports events have turned sports betting into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Anyone with internet access can bet on the outcome of a variety of events taking place during sports competitions.
The outcome of a sports event should ideally concern only the athletes, coaches, team owners, and fans supporting their teams. Unfortunately, people tied to the criminal world who can benefit from a specific event often try to influence game participants. They use bribes or blackmail to achieve the desired result, which is known as “match fixing” and closely related to illegal betting.
Illegal Betting
While some betting operators are licensed by local and international authorities, illegal betting operators offer unlicensed betting through websites. The illegal betting market is estimated to be double the size of the legal one and continues to grow rapidly. This growth is driven by better pricing, better availability of credit, and a wider range of products offered to customers.
Illegal betting and match fixing cases are often obvious, but proving them and taking legal action remains difficult for authorities. However, there are several high-profile cases where athletes were convicted of taking bribes or fixing games.
In 2007, Australian jockey Chris Munce was sentenced to 30 months in jail in Hong Kong for accepting bribes. He received bribes from a businessman to provide racing tips and was arrested with $40,000 in his pockets.
In 2010, hidden cameras exposed Pakistani Cricket National Team players Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, and Salman Butt for spot-fixing. They were convicted and banned from the sport, along with serving jail time for their involvement in fixing a cricket match.
Last year, former Real Betis football players Antonio Amaya and Xavier Torres received one-year prison sentences for match-fixing. They were found guilty of taking money to influence the results of two games during the 2013/14 season, marking Spain’s first successful sports corruption prosecution.
Athletes are not the only ones involved in fixing games; referees can also be bribed or influence game outcomes. In the case of Tim Donaghy, an NBA referee placed bets on games he officiated and made calls to ensure specific outcomes.
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