The NFL is one of the biggest opponents of legalized sports betting, telling U.S. citizens that it will only lead to the increased manipulation of game outcomes. However, research conducted by an investigative reporter shows that regulated sports wagering could actually help prevent match fixing and corruption.
Declan Hill, an independent British investigative journalist and author, stated that the hundreds of manipulated outcomes from soccer games being revealed in Asia and Europe is not due to the regulation of internet casinos and sportsbooks, but the extensive underground gambling market that operates in Asia and Eastern Europe. Hill, who is perhaps best known for his 2008 release of “The Fix,” a book in which he predicted that international soccer would soon be the victim of a major scandal, recently made the bold statement that game fixers are placing their bets with unregulated and illegal sportsbooks with connections to organized crime rings.
In a December interview with The New York Times, Hill said that the gambling industry in Asia is much larger than it is in Vegas and Europe combined. He also noted that because most of it is filtered through illegal operations, concealing fraud and money laundering within a covert, criminal industry is considerably easier.
Experts in the gaming industry state that it is very difficult to manipulate the industry with corrupted outcomes when regulated internet gambling sites are involved. This is primarily because the online records containing customer identities and transactions create a level of transparency that works to the criminals’ disadvantage. In addition to this, advanced technology provides for the rapid detection of suspicious wagering amounts and patterns, particularly on more obscure sports that are often vulnerable to corruptible influences.
It has been reported that as many as 200 matches could have manipulated outcomes across international borders, many of them speculated to involve a number of referees and well known players. However, legal, fully regulated sportsbooks have come out to say that their respective services were not targeted by cheaters, claiming that both the fixed matches and participating parties would be easy to identify.
The revelation made by Hill speaks highly of the desperate need for fully regulated and licensed internet gambling, sports wagering included. With the lingering threat of corruption and criminal activity, this is the best way to ensure the integrity of the games and most importantly, protect the players. The NFL seems to be high on its position that illegal sports betting is not a frequent thing, claiming that legalizing and regulating it would only tempt cheaters. However, it is becoming clearer to see that regulation may be the only way to keep incidents such as the soccer scandal that has rocked international headlines from infecting the NFL and other major sports in the United States.
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