Does Match Fixing Happen in Various World Championships?

World Championships attract hundreds of millions of eyes whenever matches are aired on television or streamed online. Most sports you can think of host huge championship events, with multiple games taking place over periods of weeks until eventually two teams face off against each other and one wins. The industry is worth billions to the people who play, organize, host, and advertise during these matches – which is why the industry is vulnerable to scams like match-fixing.

Match-fixing involves the players, officials, referees, and managers of famous teams. It is a serious problem, and when allegations are made they are taken extremely seriously. It is an illegal practice and being found guilty, depending on the country in which you reside, could result in prison time. So, while it is not exactly commonplace, it is absolutely something that happens and something that will continue to happen for as long as the industry is profitable.

What is Match-Fixing?

Match-fixing is the practice of ensuring that a match or a game, in sports, ends with a pre-determined result. It is a way of fixing a bet so that somebody can win a sum of money for correctly predicting the outcome especially when it comes to online betting, casino & gambling according to Bogdan Cazino. It might involve correctly predicting, via illegal tactics, how an individual player might perform or which team ultimately wins the game or tournament.

The practice is not allowed in any sport and is condemned by all professional sporting bodies, but no amount of condemnation can stop it from happening.

The most common way that match-fixing works is a method that includes players working with a third party, or perhaps together, to fix the result of a game by performing poorly. This might involve all the players in a team, or simply a handful of players who can work together to stop a team from performing well during a game. The poor performance of just these players could be enough to give the opposing team the upper hand, allowing those in the know to place bets suggesting the opposing team would win. In cases like this, it’s also likely that the bet will be focused on the performance of specific players.

An example would be during a soccer game that a gambler may bet a certain player scores no goals. The player in question would need to be in on the bet, and ensure that he or she scores no goals during the game.

Other methods of match-fixing exist, too. The use of corrupt referees is another way in which people are able to change the result of a game without asking the players. A referee holds a lot of power, meaning that in the event there is a decision that would drastically affect the outcome of a game, a referee could rule in a way that benefits the person making a bet. The referee would then take a cut of the profits from the bet and hope that nobody finds out, or challenges the decision that was made.

Match-fixing through referees might seem extreme, but it’s nowhere near as extreme as teams working together to fix a score. In the past, there have been instances of teams working together to fix the result of a game by agreeing to make a certain amount of goals during a game. Depending on the game being played it would require players to work together in order to avoid taking important shots or to behave in a way that benefits or disadvantages the other side. Match-fixing by drawing or sticking to a fixed score has happened before, and will no doubt happen again – and it often takes the form of a pre-agreed draw.

Are World Championships Vulnerable?

The simple answer is yes. Match-fixing does happen in various world championships, and there is reason to believe championships across a variety of different sports are still vulnerable to cheating in this way.

With the growth in popularity of the Women’s World Cup, officials are now on high alert to look out for potential match-fixing issues. The games are world millions of dollars in terms of bets, and as women’s football gains more traction, officials are taking steps to ensure that it is protected from corruption. FIFA took no chances in France in 2019, with the governing body saying it took measures to prevent matches from being manipulated which were their most extensive to date.

In 2018, it was even reported that a World Cup referee had been banned after a six-year history of match-fixing was discovered. The culprit, Joseph Lamptey, has a history of being suspended for performing badly before it was realized his conduct was representative of match-fixing.

Beyond soccer, officials have expressed concern about match-fixing in American football, cricket, and more.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.