DEFINTION



Match fixing is the practice of staging a competitive event, usually in organized sports, with a predetermined outcome. Often associated with gambling, match fixing is usually illegal and those caught can be criminally prosecuted.



BACKGROUND



Game fixing is not a new problem to the world of sports but rather an increasing one. Instances of athletes accepting bribes to lose a game, because of bets being made on the possible outcome of a game have been seen even during the heyday of the Greek civilization, where the first Olympic Games were held. The explosion of the mass media, especially electronic media, by the dawn of the 20th century made people more aware of the various happenings in the sporting world. Match-fixing is no less prevalent in the 21st century as it was in the 20th century.



ISSUE



In most jurisdictions, match fixing isn’t only a violation of the rules of the sports organizations involved, it’s also a felony, because the spectators who pay for tickets have been promised an honest competition. When allegations of fixing are sufficiently substantive to warrant investigation, the government’s investigatory powers can be called into play, usually enhancing the fact-finding process. The involvement of law enforcement in the process can also result in punishment of those outside the jurisdiction of the sport, such as gamblers and their associates.



Those sports most vulnerable to match fixing are those whose participants are relatively underpaid. The Black Sox scandal is widely blamed on team owner Charles Comiskey’s notorious miserliness. Baseball salaries have grown considerably since then, and it’s nearly impossible to buy off even the lowest-paid player; instead, gambling interests seeking to fix games are more likely to seek out corruptible umpires.



There are two main motivations behind match fixing: financial (often linked to gambling) and future team advantage (avoiding relegation, better playoff chances, abuse of tiebreak rules, etc.). Below are some causes:



- Agreements with gamblers
- Better playoff chances
- More favorable schedule next year
- Match fixing by referees
- Match fixing to a draw or a fixed score
- Abuse of tie-breaking rules
- Individual performance in team sports
- Effect of non-gambling-motivated fixing on wagering



RELATED LITERATURE



Some of the most scandalous events in world sports below:



Baseball: One of the biggest scandals in American baseball occurred in 1919, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from playing the game for life. This punishment was meted out for intentionally losing the game, enabling Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series. The fixing was a conspiracy, motivated by a dislike amongst teammates against the club owner. The incident, referred to as the Black Sox Scandal, created such a sensation in the country that it inspired a book called “Eight Men Out”, which was later made into a movie by the same name.

Another baseball controversy occurred in the late 1980s when Peter Rose, former baseball player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds team then, voluntarily accepted the life ban from the Major League Baseball over allegations of his betting on his team, though no actual evidence exists even now. In his autobiography titled “Prison without Bars”, he discussed the whole match-fixing incident though.

Football (soccer): Perhaps the game that has had most match-fixing incidents is football (soccer). One of the most sensational scandals occurred in the UK in the 1910s, when a First League Division match between Manchester United and Liverpool was fixed in favor of the former team while the benefits went to both teams. Seven players were involved in the scandal and all of them were later banned for life.

A similar betting scandal was unearthed in the 1960s. It involved a betting ring formed by a number of Football League players who continually fixed matches. When uncovered, many of the players were banned for life and some of them imprisoned.

In 2004, over thirty people in South Africa were arrested on charges of match-fixing by the South African Football Association. The thirty people included club officials, referees, an official of the association and a match commissioner.

One of the recent incidents that shook football in Germany was the Bundesliga Scandal in 2005, when prosecutors, along with help from the German Football Association, made an inquiry into allegations that Robert Hoyzer, a referee, was involved in fixing several matches that he had worked on. It was also reported that he was involved with gambling syndicates in Croatia. He later confessed his guilt and named several other referees and players involved in match fixing. He, along with the others were arrested and served over two years in prison along with a life ban from the association.

That same year, another scandal was to rock Brazilian football, when two referees, one of them being a member of FIFA’s referee staff, were charged with accepting bribes and having fixed several games in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the country’s top football tournament. Once the allegations were confirmed, the games were replayed and both the referees were banned from football for life.

In 2006, the Italian Police uncovered what was supposed to be the largest match fixing scandal in Italian Serie A football. Here, major football teams Lazio, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Juventus were charged with rigging matches and selecting their favorite referees. Juventus, which had won the previous two Serie A titles, were stripped of them and with the exception of Milan, all four teams were relegated to Series B.

CONCLUSION



Many match-fixing incidents have been uncovered over the years and most of them have been dealt with severely. Every country has its own rules to restrict match fixing and provide strict penalties for those indulging in such practices. Regardless of these laws, sportspersons have been lured time and again into match-fixing scandals.



Possible solutions to end match fixing:



Criminal Charges

Match fixing carries criminal punishment for both the bettor or sports book that arranged the fixing as well as any players that are in on the act. Punishments vary from country to country, however any individual found guilty of fixing a sporting event runs the risk of receiving stiff criminal punishments ranging from severe fines to imprisonment.



Athletic Sanctions

Teams or players found guilty of match fixing are subject to athletic repercussions which can have long-lasting effects on the organization or player's career. The most famous match fixing in American professional sports involved the heavily favored Chicago White Sox players colluding to lose the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, leading to the players expulsion from the game and exclusion from the Hall of Fame for White Sox star "Shoeless" Joe Jackson.



Spectator Losses

While those involved with match fixing face severe consequences if they are caught, fans suffer, too. Fans either see their team perform worse than they should or are hurt if the team later faces sanctions. The individuals most injured are the bettors or books who are victims of the fraud, who lose out on money on what was believed to be a fair bet.



Player Losses

Innocent players also fall victim to their teammates' illicit actions. As the matches are happening, the players who are giving their all and trying to win are unaware that despite their best efforts their teammates are working to ensure that they are not successful. Additionally, any sanctions handed down on a team hurt the innocent players as much as the cheaters.