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Not Always Smooth Sailing
Learn the rewards involved with betting on sports and the scandals that have rocked it in the past.
Betting on sports has been an age-old practice for centuries. Since competition began to manifest itself with low-range games from the simple pickup game to the Olympiads, wagers have served to increase emotion, drive, and determination for either team to win. Although many may not require a $40 bet placed on Georgetown, betting on sports provides an added incentive for the die-hard fan or gambler to cheer.
Betting on sports also allows for generous returns. If players consistently play the Yankees + money line, for example, they are assured of wins since Yankee records hover in the 97 win range year after year. One $100 wager can easily turn to a $380 on a parlay, although parlays have achieved a reputation in the industry as “sucker bets” because of the high level of difficulty involved in winning 4 or 5 bets at one time. Point spreads of -1 and +1 on college football games also give betting on sports the high octane reputation it has achieved.
Unfortunately, betting on sports has not always been an ethical age-old practice. Many people are against betting on sports because they feel that the outcome of a game can depend on it. There have been numerous scandals that involved public figures. Before point spreads, it was hard for gamblers to try to fix a game. Players needed to be in cahoots, receiving bribes for “throwing the game.” One infamous betting on sports scandal happened in 1919 when 8 members of the Chicago White Sox were bribed to lose the World Series to a lesser Cincinnati Reds team. Many manipulators also influence betting on sports by encouraging point shaving, or convincing players to win by less than the point spread.
 When one thinks of “betting on sports wrongs,” Pete Rose also comes to mind. A former all star baseball player turned manager, he was found to have made thousands of bets including those on his own team. As a result, he was banned from the game and Hall of Fame discussions and a tarnish reputation continue to this day. All in all, there have been numerous betting on sports scandals that have penetrated the sports hierarchy from below.
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