Despite all the established security measures by sportsbooks and efforts by sporting institutions to regulate proper conduct at sporting events, there is always the risk of rigging the result.
Sports betting scandals have been and still continue to plague the sportsmanship of some most popular sports in the world. Discover the biggest sports betting scandals in history below.
Once fraud investigators begin an inquiry into a possible suspect the culprit normally pays for his wrongdoings through prison time, a hefty fine, a lifetime ban from the sport, or even all three.
A sports betting scandal can taint a sporting hero’s reputation and bring shame upon the sports world.
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The Black Sox Scandal
Arguably one the oldest and greatest betting scandal of all time.
Eight Major League Baseball players from the Chicago White Sox, which were later renamed the Black Sox, were busted after being paid a total of $100,000 to lose World Series games in 1919.
They were one of baseball’s best teams, but they were paid far less than players on other teams. First baseman Chick Gandil organized a group of six other players to conspire with professional gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series.
Investigators uncovered the plot and the eight were banned from baseball for life.
Tim Donaghy and the NFL
Veteran NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for making calls that would affect the points of the game. In 2007 the FBI discovered the referee had bet on games in which he had officiated in and made calls in favor of the team he wagered on.
The FBI revealed Donaghy had bet tens of thousands of dollars on games during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 season and Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal charges in 2007.
Nelson Piquet Crash
At the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix in September 2008, the Renault team ordered driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to intentionally crash his car, which gave teammate Fernando Alonso the victory.
The Renault team’s crime was less an act of outright cheating as more deceptive and dishonest. Furthermore, it was a potentially lethal act as it could have been considered as a potential murder.
Boston College Football Scandal
Dan Henning was the coach of Boston College football team in 1996. Henning heard rumors that some of his players engaged in sports betting against the team to lose to Syracuse but decided to wait until after the match to say anything.
The score? Syracuse trashed Boston 45-17
He immediately contacted the officials and 13 players were suspended and six were banned indefinitely. As for Henning, he resigned after that disastrous season without his best players.
The 1951 Point Shaving scandal
The 1951 point-shaving scandal is one of the biggest basketball scandals in college basketball history.
The scandal happened between 1947 to 1951. In this short time, 35 active and former college players were accused of fixing games and at least 86 known games were fixed including a shocking win for City College of New York basketball team in both the NIT and NCAA tournaments.
The following year news broke of the team organizing a massive point-shaving scandal with New York mobsters. The scandal included four New York-area schools plus Toledo, Bradley, and Kentucky, all of whom had players manipulating the score during games.
In all, 32 players were arrested and charged for fixing the 86 games between 1947 and 1950.
Pete Rose and the Reds
Pete Rose was once one of the most talented and famous baseball coaches players in America. After he retired in 1986 an MLB investigation determined that, as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Rose had gambled on baseball games during the 1985, ’86 and ’87 seasons.
The same year Rose received a lifetime ban and removed from the baseball Hall of Fame, even though Rose denied gambling on baseball.
He continued to deny it and frequently pleaded to be re-admitted and inducted into the Hall of Fame until 2004.
In 2004, he finally admitted to gambling on baseball and in 2007, he admitted to betting on the Reds “every night.”
Damien Oliver’s Horse Racing Scandal
Horse racing has a reputation to be a grubby and corrupt sport due to a fair share of scandals throughout history.
However, one of the most recent scandals has sullied the sport even more. Australian horse jockey Damien Oliver was revealed to have placed a $10,000 bet on a horse riding against his own mount, Miss Octopussy, in late 2010.
Oliver was only banned for 10 months but the significance of the scandal proves that even in today’s world the temptation of fixing races and events is still rife.
