Sumo betting seems rigged - can you make profit with it?

[madnessteat]

I was watching a documentary about sumo and it said that the Japanese tradition and ranking system have a strong influence on the sport. Also, sumo has a bit of a stage show in it. Therefore, I fully support the point of view that in this sport the victory can be negotiated in advance and given to whoever needs it.

[Reid]

I am not questioning if it is rigged, however, I am surprised as that really goes against the whole Japanese tradition and respect to sports in general. I know they are not above cheating in any regard, but still, it always seemed (and I think I watched somewhere where they talk about it) that they have the utmost respect to keeping sports as pure as possible. Oh well, modern times require modern solutions.

Indeed, respect and discipline. That's why it's not easy to believe this kind of rumor.
Well, if it's true it might just be in that circle of sports.
Use in our favor? Yes, but it requires the information. Where would we get it?
Many fake rumors out there and fake analysts could just be doing it for their own advantage. I wouldn't mind putting a little bet as long as the source is legitimate.
I will just think of it as a strategy of the wrestler to avoid fighting the stronger one in rankings. Perhaps that's the real reason behind it.

[Joel_Jantsen]

Not just Sumo betting but every fighting game in that context can be rigged. Hell, are these even sports anymore or just money-making rigs? MMA/Boxing is also a money-making machine for the fighters and bettors. The only way to make profits from it is to understand the trend and figure out what fighter will be paid more to lose. Analysing the skills or predicting the outcome in terms of statistics isn't enough or relevant anymore.

[magneto]

That would just be completely stupid.

I actually remember reading freakonomics and Sumo being rigged as one of the subject matters that came up. But what makes you think that you are the one with the secret to betting in a rigged market?

The fact that a select few have insider information into the outcome of matches already mean that you are playing the game at a disadvantage - odds on the correct outcome are going to be artificially reduced given the knowledge that certain people have of the outcome. That significantly reduces your EV and your likelihood of winning in the long run.

[Saint-loup]

That would just be completely stupid.

I actually remember reading freakonomics and Sumo being rigged as one of the subject matters that came up. But what makes you think that you are the one with the secret to betting in a rigged market?

The fact that a select few have insider information into the outcome of matches already mean that you are playing the game at a disadvantage - odds on the correct outcome are going to be artificially reduced given the knowledge that certain people have of the outcome. That significantly reduces your EV and your likelihood of winning in the long run.

It could be significant at mutual sportsbooks, but I'm not sure odds drastically change on regular sportsbooks for rigged games. Usually they keep their odds near the implied probability they already evaluated themselves and if they see unusual or unexpected betting behaviors they suspend or close the bets.

[Fundamentals Of]

Do you feel that knowing that a sport may be rigged you could actually turn it in your favour?

Yes, but only if you know who's going to be declared the winner. Most of the time, these rigged matches are only agreed within a very small circle. Seldom do we see them leaked. Those which are spreading around claiming to have an inside reliable informant are 99% scam.

I always thought that the sumo sports is considered almost sacred in Japan that it is being practiced with all honesty. If this news is true then it is already losing its preserved culturally revered value.

[acener]

You could only make profit from rigged sports by luck or knowing who would actually win before the match even started.
But I do feel that more sports are actually rigged it is just hard to see.
Who knows maybe the small errors or mistakes that they do in sports are actually their way of throwing it but I could also be wrong after all we are just humans which tends to have some error or mistakes.

[iTradeChips]

You could only make profit from rigged sports by luck or knowing who would actually win before the match even started.
But I do feel that more sports are actually rigged it is just hard to see.
Who knows maybe the small errors or mistakes that they do in sports are actually their way of throwing it but I could also be wrong after all we are just humans which tends to have some error or mistakes.

In the case of the Sumo wrestlers, it would be obvious if someone played half-heartedly and lost, especially in a contact sport, fans will be able to spot differences in the performance of the player who deliberately lost the game. For team matches, even one player can spell the difference for a team winning or losing, and the rest won't even know that a deal was made. If it is an error in performance and not a deliberate cheat, then we are all good at that since the issue is player performance not cheating the game.

[7788bitcoin]

Do you feel that knowing that a sport may be rigged you could actually turn it in your favour?

In my opinion most of the sports taking place in Japan will be rigged as i have heard that most of the gambling is controlled by the underworld and i have heard multiple interviews from athletes that how they were approached by these people when they were competing in Japan. I have not wagged a bet in Sumo as i have not seen any gambling sites allowing these bets.
If you know any sites that accepts sumo gambling i would like to know.

[goinmerry]

Do you feel that knowing that a sport may be rigged you could actually turn it in your favour?

How can we know in the first place that the game will be rigged? Bets are placed prior to the game. No advantage to us average gamblers.

Back on the topic about sumo, it's been a talk for a long time that there are irregularities in sumo. We can say that there are rigged games but as per the rumor it was for the benefit for both parties if you know what I mean.

[YOSHIE]

Sumo player sport in japan is a sport specifically for adults, sumo game participants have a monthly income exceeding $ 25,000 per month, they are the most influential and respected people in Japan, it's for a game that is quite professional, you definitely know what kind of sumo game wins and loses, the opponent's feet just a little out of the arena is guaranteed to lose.

For that if you talk about the game sumo can be cheated, of course it is a secret for both opponents in the betting agreement, I do not want to say it could be cheating or otherwise maintain the reputation of winning.

Which I often find the words of the sumo bettor as below.

Win-lose data suggests “quid-pro-quo agreement: you let me win today, when I really need a win, and I'll let you win another time.”

Of course it was said with full consideration on the grounds that they both know it, you yourself understand the word above its purpose.

[ReiMomo]

I guess, if you have connections with the people who control the rigging and handles the wrestlers well, that is the only option to have the rigging be in your favor. Besides that, I don’t think there are other options and all of them are gambling still.
Rigging already started in the 1950s, and as far as I can remember, it was horse racings that were fixed before. But these principles still can be applied today.

But someone rigging the game doesn’t mean that people can’t win, they can still win and they will win. But yes, if you don’t have connections it’s just all based on pure lucks. But that is how gambling works right?

[death69]

We can't benefit ourselves with these results. And because they are rigged, the information must be spreaded and noticed by the sportbooks and they will not let the odds being too attractive. Maybe in some occasions, we can transform the private information to our own advantage but it is unlikely to happen all the time

IMO, I have not interest in Sumo even though it is one of the most cultural sport on the planet

[madnessteat]

~snip~

On the contrary, I don't recognise the kind of fights like wrestling or sumo. In my opinion, real fights should be spectacular because of the fierce rivalry between the fighters, not staged shows in which a weaker fighter can defeat a stronger one. I would never bet on sumo.

[justdimin]

Do you feel that knowing that a sport may be rigged you could actually turn it in your favour?

What I am going to say might offend some people, my apologies to anyone who might be hurt but I am just sharing my own perspective.

I gamble a lot on cricket and often times I feel like some of the leagues have a few matches rigged like the IPL where a certain team like Mumbai Indians would go down the table but everyone knows they will win the last 5-6 matches of their group stage to make it to the finals/semis and what I do is I analyze which team is more likely to win based on my theory "no team will get eliminated early neither any team will qualify early". In simple words, a team winning too much is likely to lose their next game.

So I would take advantage in such a way, this theory does work for me but I am not saying that I am 100% right all of the time. It just helps me take better decisions instead of random ones.

I am not saying IPL is rigged or anything like that. I am just putting my own perspective and how I gamble.

[dothebeats]

If you have the insider information then perhaps you can turn this into a profit. But if not then it will still be very difficult to make something out of it since you have zero knowledge of what's happening in the background.

There are tons of leagues that have blatant throws and insider betting that have been discovered in recent times yet you won't even know whether or not these leagues are legit considering that the outcomes of matches are always smooth that it's as if nothing fishy happened.

If you're really interested on making money in betting sumo matches, make sure to get some friends on high places—preferably those close to the honchos of the league—and seek for their "help" in exchange of favors.

[bitzizzix]

Yes, after I researched the world of sumo in Japan, it is very dirty and full of scandals, starting from the involvement of the Japanese mafia yakuza, gambling, to who wins who loses can be arranged.
And with the many cases and scandals happening in the Japanese sumo world today, especially the case of losing win arrangements, now many members of Japanese society do not believe in the results of the current sumo championships in Japan.
Even though I never bet on a sumo match but this case will tarnish its reputation and will make people happier watching it than betting.

[Smartprofit]

It has been said that Sumo, the Japanese fighting sport is not as clean as it should be. Apparently, in the maximum cathegory - short of a premier league - there is tendency to let win those who need to win in order to remain in that cathegory. This was studied and mentioned later on a book called Freakconomics.

An article here-

Do you feel that knowing that a sport may be rigged you could actually turn it in your favour?

Yes, if there is a manipulation factor in the game, then theoretically an outside observer has the ability to reveal the essence of this manipulation and make a profit. 

However, this requires a very clear understanding of who benefits from this manipulation.  To do this, you need to be well versed in how sumo tournaments are held.  Such analysis can be a very lucrative form of human endeavor. 

The profit can be very significant.  Insider information is a very valuable resource that can be freely transformed into cash.

[Insanerman]

~

I never really considered betting on sumo wresting as I know that those fighters work for organizations or Mafias which is apparently common in Japan and therefore it can possibly be rigged sometimes. I mean if even NBA can be rigged, how come that this sport cannot? Apparently, if you know the background of each fight or was onto knowing which organization the fighters were from, then you can or should consider it in your betting, but the profit remains a 50-50 odd. Nonetheless, if I were to be asked, I wouldn't really suggest other sumo watchers to bet if they wouldn't spend time knowing the person they will bet.

[Fortify]

It has been said that Sumo, the Japanese fighting sport is not as clean as it should be. Apparently, in the maximum cathegory - short of a premier league - there is tendency to let win those who need to win in order to remain in that cathegory. This was studied and mentioned later on a book called Freakconomics.

I remember reading Freakonomics and the reference to sumo wrestlers. It is very ironic that a game so steeped in history and claiming to be all about honor would work in such a way. I guess, as that book noted, it was inevitable from the way the sport is structured - a very tight knit community that is hard to break into without a certain training background. It seems akin to the highest level members only golf clubs that exist all around the world and require certain invitations, even approval from all existing members, before a new member can be admitted. Except that gamblers will be losing money unless they have the right inside knowledge. It is still a rather obscure sport without much betting activity outside of Japan, probably for this very reason.