The NFL Bet Fixing History

The NFL Fix 

In the good old US of A sports betting is only legal in the state of Nevada, which creates an amazing legal income revenue stream for Nevada. With much conspiracy surrounding the legal sports betting, just imagine how much illegal betting is happening across the country!

While the National Football league vigorously tries to separate itself from any gambling or bets taken on their games, stats show that nearly $100 billion is wagered each year on NFL games. Whether these bets are through bookies or your office pool, money is won and lost and the NFL games are watched closely…which makes the NFL money.

The NFL seems to be favouring the better, with benched or injured players announced before games and the point spread n the games being shared in articles. This ease of access to game information seems aimed directly at gamblers.

A fun fact, did you know the following teams were or are owned by gamblers, bookies or casino owners:

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Cleveland Browns

San Francisco 49ers

So obviously bet fixing in the NFL arena is rife, but the finger cannot be pointed at every owner, each team or all the players. The clear link between bookies/casino owners does not automatically mean bet fixing. But you can clearly see how being a bookie and wanting to ensure people gamble and bet, could possibly lead to the owners of these NFL teams trying to sway the rules of this most American sport in the favour of gambling.

Organised crime has and is always trying to make quick and illegal money from betting. This kind of activity has been going on even before there was organised crime, so it is not a new phenomenon. The organised crime factor is constantly figuring out new ways to dirty up gambling, and in this age of internet things are getting interesting. They have moved from fixing your local bookie, to trying to use horse racing betting sites and other online sports betting options.

But with this new age of betting online, comes the focus of not just the American public but the entire world. The possibility of be fixing being found out and making headlines is much more possible now then 50 years ago, and the consequences are much more dire.

Ruination of your name for a couple of million is not as appealing when the ruination will happen globally and be on the internet for all time.

Having said all of the above, what exactly is the future then of the NFL? Can it separate itself from the obvious betting that occurs on 4eqach and every game? So the NFL seems a little biased in it rules, there are still some who are in it for the game and the glory. I still naively see hope for the

NFL but maybe a bit of better legislation to better control the possible bet fixing. The focus should be on the future ways organised crime will try and influence the game, as judging from their innovative past attempts the future is one scary betting world.