Betting and fixing in sports: Is it just a game?
Sporting activities are usually seen with a friendly outlook, making viewers believe that it is all about the entertainment, but what if it is not all about the entertainment we perceive it as?
With a long history of fixing activities, we wonder if it is just a game or a source of livelyhood.
A long history of being adulterated
Imagine watching soccer with a business acquaintance of yours and you later find out he had prior knowledge of the outcome of the match before it even started.
Some time ago in Spain, Barcelona B team were rocked by a scandal. They were accused of fixing a game which ended 12:0 and it became obvious that it was fixed,to crown it up, some players admitted to having knowledge of the fix.
To the average person, he /she tunes in to that station at that time to try and watch an entertaining game of soccer only to find out his club won by fixing. Sporting events are usually rigged to give certain bettors an undue advantage over their contemporaries, more like inside trading.
So many notorious fixers and sport fixing rings have either been apprehended or busted, which points to the fact that it is a real phenomenon, which bags the question: is it just entertainment or is it now a do or die for some?
No sporting event is exempted from this web of sports fixing as millions of dollars is usually lost by bookmakers annually to match fixing. Notable bookmakers had to contract external observers to monitor irregularities in betting activities worldwide.
It was even rumored at some point that the mafia had become involved in match fixing activities.
Although about less than 5% of punters truly engage in betting with authentic outcome of the event beforehand, a lot of money is lost by betting companies to these few individuals.
Once irregularities are discovered in a certain sport or game, such is removed by the bookmakers to prevent and minimize losses.
It is not only limited to smaller teams or upcoming sportsmen, Muhammad Ali was once accused of rigging a match with Sonny Liston in which Liston was already knocked out before spectators even settled down to watch the contest and many still allege till this day that there was never any contact between the duo.
To bet or not to bet
Betting must first of all be understood as a +18 activity and as such requires someone with the maturity to analyse patterns, take risks, know when to stop and not become addicted.
A lot of people have lost everything to betting as most people forget one bitter truth which is the company/house always wins.
Without experience and foresight in forecasting, an amateur bettor will be conned into losing a fortune by betting companies who tease people with amazing and mouth watering wins of clients who took the risk.
Although it is note worthy that people do win as I know of a case of someone who bought his two cars from sports betting. However I know of someone who lost his life due to a bad bet.
So many people have also lost their hard earned money to scam and con artists who claim to have information on fixed events and mandate it for their clients to pay a fixed amount of money before they are privy to such information which often turns out to be scams.
The logical thought is why will someone with access to something claimed to be legitimate, opt to sell it at a cheap rate, not only that, mandate you pay before and not after, if afterall it is a safe bet, they have nothing to lose if you pay or not after win.
So many marriages have been lost due to bad gambling habits and debt.
A common mistake made by gamblers is rushing to make another bet almost immediately after losing a bet, under the illusion that they will instantly recover.
Betting companies introduce so many options to choose from when betting which in essence should favor any bettor, but in reality is more of a trap.
Betting companies and casinos usually give games or events at a reduced odd, which forces a bettor to select many more games to increase the potential winnings of his jackpot, but what most do not understand is that the more events that are added to a betslip, the more the chances of your money being lost which is exactly what the betting company wants.
The best thing for any bettor to do is to use their spare change and not money actually meant for something useful, it helps to draw up a budget which should be followed strictly, select well analysed games and reduce the number of selections and never focus on odds because it is better to make profit little by little than to lose everything totally in the end.
Nobody goes into business to run at a loss, it is a rat race between the betting companies and the bettors as to who will outdo the other in the so I ask again...
Is it just a game?
Images were taken from pixabay and Gamer limit
Thanks to @elyaque for the badge and @son-of-satire for the generic footer
It is just a game, only those who are addicted lose out.
The main truth is, more goes on behind the scene than we realise. We must remember that despite the entertaining nature of these games, it is still a business for the owners, and fixing games is one way of ensuring activity and making a profit.
Game betting on the other hand, is an age old tradition in any case, as long as two teams are competing against each other, a person is sure somewhere betting on one or the other.
Match fixing is something rare but profitable only to those with the knowledge before hand
Nice post, didn't an NBA ref get arrested recently for fixing games?? Crazy to imagine some one would have the balls to do that. This is an article about the guy. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/may/22/ex-nba-ref-tim-donaghy-organized-will-always-have-a-hand-in-sports
I heard about it
Nice one @ehiboss.
I've gone ahead and removed the post I erroneously posted twice. Kindly lift.
Okay
@ehiboss
great post...well i should say an eye opener but this happens a lot these days even in popular European football... a lot has been exposed ....coming down to Africa...the number of youths engaged in bet9ija andother soccer betting will make you know that there is more to this than playing the game... so for me it is not only a game... but more than a game...its a source of livelihood for many... thanks for this worthy of my upvote and following for more...
When poverty exists, betting becomes an option.
very correct dear...no job for the youth what else but to engage in any options which include ponzi schemes...! nice one... find time also to check my latest blog posts
Boss, there is an element of truth in your summations here. I believe is not all about entertainment. Some matches are pure business by billionaires gamers
The reason why uncle Alabi tries to mislead us with odds
Hahahahaha...my boss you funny die
I still find that fixing of a thing hard to believe, people tend to use it to defraud and scam innocent people, we all need to be careful
Its a business to some people as is there means of livelihood.
But my major concern is that virus called gambling. It drains someone financial power little by little
Nice one boss
Had a friend who won 50,000 on a day and lost all the next day
Game betting has also became a major source of livelihood in some countries of the world. Meanwhile legalization of sport betting is what I still find questionable. I learned something here.
Might be boring but I am usually not gambling / betting - too dangerous - saw some god friends losing a lot money, they nearly got addicted. I do not want that. Thanks for posting that!