Gambling has always been something of a contentious topic throughout history. For hundreds of years, monarchs, governments, and other systems of power have attempted to make it illegal for citizens to enjoy any kind of gambling. While this has changed dramatically in recent years, there are still some countries that make it illegal for people to enjoy various forms of gambling and betting.
Sports Betting Crime
Sports Betting Crime – The New Scourge
Gambling has always attracted an unsavoury element looking to cash in on the huge amounts of money flowing through the casino’s coffers. Gambling crime has historically come in many forms, from fixing machines in order to take hard earned cash from hard working people to using the establishment to launder other ill-gotten gains. Sports betting has historically also attracted gambling crime in various forms, and now with the advent of the sports betting sites, one has to be even more vigilant to prevent unscrupulous people taking advantage of the system.
Sports Betting Crime In Days Gone By
Sports betting has been around almost as long as the sports themselves have. The legality of betting on sports has varied according to place and time, mostly due to crime and gambling and the associated issues. In America in the early 1900’s there were many famous betting scandals, most of which took the money of punters due to rigged games. One of the most famous was the World Series between the White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. A crooked bookie paid eight players $10 000 each to throw the World Series, which they did. They were found out however, and banned from playing for the rest of their lives, but not before many people lost lots of money, and others became rich overnight.
Horse racing was also not immune to match fixing. There have been a number of attempts to either affect a horse’s performance or take them out of the running, so to speak, permanently. One of the greatest examples of the is the famous horse Phar lap. Not only did he survive an attempt on his life in his native Australia, but eventually when he went to America to race he fell prey to potential bookmaking crime and was poisoned by the Mob.
The Money Laundering Issue
By far the biggest issue with sports betting is the ability to launder large amounts of money through its channels. This has been a thorn on the side of legal betting establishments for decades and is still an on going issue today. With a bit of research, we counted no fewer than 10 stories related to money laundering and sports betting sites, some of which were native to Australia and New Zealand.
Illegal Betting Adding To Gambling Crime
Aside from the crime which is associated with the legal sport betting sites, there is a new wave of illegal betting sites and operations popping up around the world. These con the punter by either pretending to be all above board, and taking their money, or by simply having no legal licenses at all. These illegal sites don’t have to answer to any authorities, so they are basically free to do whatever they please. This leads to not only fleecing of the public but other more nefarious gambling crimes such as match fixing and even doping. The illegal betting industry is so huge that it is reported to be worth $500bn a year, which to put in perspective is five times more than the car maker Toyota makes per year.
To be fair, most illegal betting sites are not based in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, although that isn’t to say that all sites which can be found on the net are above board. The attraction of these syndicates relies a lot on granting access to punters who would not otherwise be legally able to gamble, as well as the convenience of it as some illegal bookies even collect money right from your door.
Shocking Boxing Scandals
Shocking Boxing Scandals Boxing has probably had the most amount of scandals and controversies throughout history than any other sport. Boxing is known for underhanded dealings and cheating. Boxing is not for the faint hearted and the most controversial scandals are usually about somebody trying to get rich or even fixing things in the ring. … Read more
The Biggest Horse Racing Scandals
The Biggest Horse Racing Scandals Horse racing is a sport that always attracts attention, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Over the years there have been several scandals that have rocked the racing world and affected the horses, the jockeys and those who bet on them. Whether you enjoy, Caulfield Cup, Grand National, Kentucky … Read more
The Biggest Scandals in Sports
The Biggest Scandals in Sports
Since professional sports got created, players have been guilty of betting on their own games, or those of others, and gamblers have been hunting up ways to shift the odds their way behind the scenes. Here are some of the biggest transgressions in the world of sports and gambling.
The Worst Match Fixing Scandals Ever
The Worst Match Fixing Scandals Ever Match fixing is a scourge that’s felt across the globe, in all kinds of sports. These incidents are some of the worst, but you can bet that even worse ones will crop up in the future. IPL Cricket is often subject to match fixing, but in 2013 a scandal … Read more
The Safety of Sports Betting Online
Online Sports Betting – How Safe Is It? Sports betting is one of the oldest forms of gambling in the world, and it can trace its roots back to as early as the Roman Empire, but evidence exists that its even older than that. It’s age is a testament to resilience, showing that people have … Read more
Football Match Fixing Scandals
Match Fixing in Football Match fixing has unfortunately become a big problem across all sports. This article will look at some of the biggest match fixing scandals in Football. Robert Hoyzer In 2005 Robert Hoyzer, a former referee, was found guilty and received a sentence of two years in prison. He was found guilty of … Read more
When Bookies Go Bad: Paul Phua
While those in the know will certainly be familiar with the name Paul Phua, most people have never heard of this unassuming, modest figure born in Borneo, Malaysia who just happens to be the world’s biggest bookie. Best described as the “unknown king of international gambling”, Phua is a business man, poker play, and rumoured to be a senior member of the 14K triad – a Hong Kong criminal group.
From humble beginnings as a construction worker to jet setting around the world in a $48 million Gulstream V jet, Phua has been plagued by rumours of criminal activity for years. The FBI finally thought they had him beat – only to watch him walk away a free man.
Cricket Match Fixing Scandal
Cricket Match Fixing With the recent clearing of the match fixing allegations that were levelled against the Ashes third test match and an UAE cricket match, the fixing of cricket matches is once again in the spotlight. The allegations against the Ashes third test were levelled by The Sun reporters, who claim Indian bookmakers had … Read more
Infamous Criminals in Sporting History
Infamous Criminals in Sporting History I’m no FBI profiler -I simply could not tell you why certain athletes turn into hardened criminals, but I am guessing it has something to do with being millionaires at a very tender age, outfitted with a veritable army of enablers, and far too much free time. Most professional players … Read more