Do major leagues secretly fix games to beat bettors?

[Sanitough]

When small leagues get caught rigging games, they lose credibility, so do you really think it never happens in major leagues?

I’m talking about the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, and global football (soccer) leagues. If you’re not new to sports betting, I’m sure you’ve heard or read speculations that some games might be rigged. But since these are major leagues with billions of dollars at stake, if the industry were to be exposed, it could collapse. That’s why no one big ever gets caught, only players or referees who could just be the fall guys.

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

[bitbollo]

If this is a "SECRET" it's obviously we will never known it I would say at latest...
Personally I don't think there is anything like this. Make similar activity would requires TONS of people involved, strange bank movement and so on.
With gambling, everyone is earning good amount just with arbitrage... Bookmakers doesn't make money if Sinner lose or win. They make money if you gamble on it.
Yes even if they are using "SECRET" method of payment like bitcoin I would not expect nothing.
No one should have such interest in my opinion, at least at higher level. Something different maybe for a single team or player...

[freedomgo]

Bookmakers doesn't make money if Sinner lose or win. They make money if you gamble on it.

This is what usually happens if there’s no fixing involve, just the normal flow of business.
But if a game is already fixed, that’s a different story. Bookies might work together with the league and get inside info on what’s going to happen. So instead of just acting as the middleman for bets (which is what they normally do), they’d start taking bets like the house and even bet against other sportsbook which does not have the info.

[kotajikikox]

When small leagues get caught rigging games, they lose credibility, so do you really think it never happens in major leagues?

I’m talking about the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, and global football (soccer) leagues. If you’re not new to sports betting, I’m sure you’ve heard or read speculations that some games might be rigged. But since these are major leagues with billions of dollars at stake, if the industry were to be exposed, it could collapse. That’s why no one big ever gets caught, only players or referees who could just be the fall guys.

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

It’s easier to rig games in smaller leagues because there’s less coverage and less people involved. But in order to pull off something similar in bigger leagues, it’s going to be a lot difficult and the penalties or consequences would be a lot more dire. So I don’t think a lot of people would want to attempt anything.

[sheenshane]

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

IMO, it's a no.
It's impossible because there are too many of them who facilitated the event.
It could be that the leagues, teams, players, refs/umpires, broadcasters, sponsors, and betting operators would all have to be deceived.  
That scale of secret coordination is unlikely to be maintained without leaks in the first place.

So I dont think there's a fixed game in the major leagues.

[BitMaxz]

No one would know this. Usually the ones we always see rigging the game are players and referees. I don't know if it's the whole league or bookmakers. I think there's no way to know unless you are one of their staff.

Since it's hard to know if they are going to rig the game or not, as a bettor, don't bet if you have a gut feeling that they are going to rig the game.
There's no way to know unless you have a friend from the inside who gives you free information.

[Botnake]

IMO, it's a no.
It's impossible because there are too many of them who facilitated the event.

It doesn’t take everyone getting involved to call a game rigged.

Just paying or instructing the ref alone can already change the outcome of a game.

For example, if the league, together with the bookies, wants the game to go over,  let’s say in basketball the line is 240 points (which is pretty high and might push most bettors to take the under) .. the fix could be done through the refs. They’d just keep calling fouls, even for the smallest contact, so players keep going to the free-throw line. That alone can push the score higher.

Now, take the point spread. Let’s say one team is favored by -15.5, which is already a big number, so the public might bet on the other side. If the fix is in, refs can call fouls in favor of the favorites to make sure it ends in a blowout, easily covering that big spread.

Of course, this isn’t a 100% guarantee of the outcome, but most of the time, it result in their favor. And the thing is, they only need the ref to pull it off, sometimes the players themselves aren’t even aware. That’s why you’ll see players complaining about missed calls or questionable fouls.

[Ronsbit]

I do not think it would be that possible to do so because big teams attract too much attention their way, so any mistake made would be detected so easily, and besides, if caught or found guilty, the penalty and fine would be too much on them, so it is likely they would not dare such than to have their name dented for such. Maybe a smaller club could try such and it would not attract eyes their way, but not a big team.

[btc_angela]

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

Well there was a noise about the mafia being involved in a world series and they try to fixed the games itself.

Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein, a notorious figure in the early 20th century, is often regarded as the man who corrupted sports and simultaneously paved the way for reforms. While he consistently denied his involvement, Rothstein was widely suspected of orchestrating the infamous Chicago "Black Sox" baseball scandal of 1919, where players threw the World Series. This scandal not only tarnished the reputation of the sport but also led to significant changes in the way professional sports were managed.

https://omertamia.com/blogs/sports/the-mastermind-arnold-rothstein-and-the-corrupted-world-of-sports

And then in NBA we have a referee who are heavily into gambling was also fixing the game.

A former referee at the center of a gambling scandal has alleged that NBA referees rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to seven games. Tim Donaghy also says the NBA routinely encouraged referees to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but ignore calls against star players.

https://www.npr.org/2008/06/12/91415111/ex-referee-says-2002-nba-playoff-was-rigged

The later was investigated and found to be true so Tim Donaghy lost his job as a NBA referee.

And there are players are well who are involved in the NBA like Jontay Porter who is also found guilty. And then Malik Beasley is investigation of his gambling is also being investigated right now.

[TheUltraElite]

A lot of fixing happens in smaller leagues but big leagues I am doubtful about it.

While the games might not seem like they are fixed and they are difficult too, we can never know for sure. But we have to aceept that something might be fixed and bet hoping that our luck runs on the correct side of the fix.

Mob or no mob, either way you are gambling with your luck only.

[TravelMug]

It's not going to happen in big league because there are a lot of stakes behind. The league reputation itself, their partners, the owners of the team and others behind. So it's not that simply right now to fix games to beat the bettors.

With the advancement of technology too, everyone will be analyzed as there are a lot of cameras around and then after the game it will be scrutinized it they see some foul play and something is not adding up. So I doubt that it can be done in this time.

[GreatArkansas]

No one would know this. Usually the ones we always see rigging the game are players and referees. I don't know if it's the whole league or bookmakers. I think there's no way to know unless you are one of their staff.

Since it's hard to know if they are going to rig the game or not, as a bettor, don't bet if you have a gut feeling that they are going to rig the game.
There's no way to know unless you have a friend from the inside who gives you free information.

Dang, this is alarming if ever true, especially in the major leagues. I'm curious, like how to avoid this or suspect early and try not to bet on these kinds of games?
I thought this was only happening in very small leagues, like not popular leagues/teams or players.

[Fivestar4everMVP]

When small leagues get caught rigging games, they lose credibility, so do you really think it never happens in major leagues?

I’m talking about the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, and global football (soccer) leagues. If you’re not new to sports betting, I’m sure you’ve heard or read speculations that some games might be rigged. But since these are major leagues with billions of dollars at stake, if the industry were to be exposed, it could collapse. That’s why no one big ever gets caught, only players or referees who could just be the fall guys.

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

Well, to be honest with you, speculation is nothing but speculation until we see reasons or evidence to believe that what are speculating about is actually the reality, we can accuse the casino of rigging games but until proven guilty, they remain innocent of every accusation, so it makes no sense to me for us to dwell and debate on something we aren't even sure is happening..

I mean, the question I am asking myself is, if the supposed big leagues will get themselves involved in match rigging as a way for them to beat the betting public as you said, what eventually is their gain? What do they stand to gain from doing this? Because it's until we understand what their gain or potential gain is, speculating or even believing this is useless until we have prove that its actually happening.

[qwertyup23]

Bookmakers doesn't make money if Sinner lose or win. They make money if you gamble on it.

This is what usually happens if there’s no fixing involve, just the normal flow of business.
But if a game is already fixed, that’s a different story. Bookies might work together with the league and get inside info on what’s going to happen. So instead of just acting as the middleman for bets (which is what they normally do), they’d start taking bets like the house and even bet against other sportsbook which does not have the info.

If this were to happen, then it would explode on all news outlets and reports would flow against that major league office.

Like what some have mentioned, if major leagues secretly fix their games to bet bettors, then everyone would know about it. I would be surprised if they would do it given that there are tons of risked involved in this act. Obviously, if they were to fix their games, it would backfire them tenfold given that it would lose all the trust they have established all over the years.

A lot of fixing happens in smaller leagues but big leagues I am doubtful about it.

While the games might not seem like they are fixed and they are difficult too, we can never know for sure. But we have to aceept that something might be fixed and bet hoping that our luck runs on the correct side of the fix.

I definitely agree with you.

Given the risks involve and the reputation they have built over the years, it is just not worth it to lose its player base just to combat against its own bettors. Long-run, this would be their worst decision to make in the event they do it.

[Sandra_hakeem]

When small leagues get caught rigging games, they lose credibility, so do you really think it never happens in major leagues?

I wouldn't say anything about major leagues without a prove; we've seen several disturbing events and sanctions being placed on division league teams for this behavior ( I don't know if they just got caught cause they're not as careful as major leagues?) but we need beyond just mere suspicions to actually say it's true.

I’m talking about the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, and global football (soccer) leagues. If you’re not new to sports betting, I’m sure you’ve heard or read speculations that some games might be rigged. But since these are major leagues with billions of dollars at stake, if the industry were to be exposed, it could collapse. That’s why no one big ever gets caught, only players or referees who could just be the fall guys.

If you think it's not always about personal interest for those referees and players, why don't they call them out afterwards? Is anyone afraid of calling FIFA corrupt if they actually are?

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

Trade with caution!!

[lovesmayfamilis]

I am aware of instances where teams have given games to their opponents during their local championship. In order for a team to get a few points and rise higher in the standings, sometimes coaches make agreements either with an opponent or directly with a referee, but if this becomes known, many are dismissed from their positions. If there are penalties for such violations in local championships, then I think we cannot talk about fixed matches at the world level. It is true that where there is an interest not only in big but also in huge money, it is simply impossible to miss any agreements. There will be great control, and watching the games literally through a magnifying glass, so I do not think it is worth worrying about the fact that bets may be useless, since there is a pre-agreed scenario.

[rbynxx]

When small leagues get caught rigging games, they lose credibility, so do you really think it never happens in major leagues?

I think it happens and probably not that too common considering that if they really get caught that will leave a catastrophic downfall over the organization and to individuals.

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

I tried to believe that when I'm at loss from betting on them even when in fact they are the clear winner lol. Tbh, you can only think of game fixing when you're losing or reading comments like they are fixing it but if you're just in it to watch you don't think a damn thing about it. I'd say be responsible while gambling because after all we're dealing 50/50 here.

[yhiaali3]

You have exaggerated suspicions without evidence Because  difficult to me to believe that the big league itself could be the mastermind behind match-fixing. This manipulation may loss their credibility and if they were discovered their losses would be much greater . They already make huge sums of money, so why would they do this?

I can accept that match-fixing could occur By a single player or a few players, a few matches, or even a few smaller teams, but at the higher levels, such as in the major leagues, that's beyond belief.

[m2017]

So here’s the question, do you believe the league itself could be the mastermind, doing this to beat the betting public? And if this is really happening but can’t be proven, what’s our approach as bettors to still make a profit from it?

I completely agree with this. What is not allowed to small leagues, with the influence and money of the big league can easily be hushed up and hidden from the general public. And for the reasons you have stated, the "tricks" of the big league will be kept secret in any case.

But on the other hand, until there is a fact of cheating (public) in the big league, we can't say for sure that this is actually happening.

How should gamblers place bets in such cases? It is easy - just get insider information. It seems to me that everything remains the same - rely on your luck.

[Russlenat]

Just paying or instructing the ref alone can already change the outcome of a game.

This is what some people might miss, they think that fixing a game means everyone has to be in on it, which in reality isn’t possible because it would be too easy to find the mastermind and put them in jail. I see it as a serious case since it’s basically a betrayal of public trust.

Getting the refs involved is the easiest way to rig a game. At the end of the day, they’re the ones making the calls on what they see, and they can be biased to give one team an advantage and secure the win.

As for major leagues, I believe some fixing might be happening, but that’s just my speculation. It will never be proven because if it ever was, the league would be forced to shut down, and the business loss would be massive, other major leagues will be affected.

It is easy - just get insider information. It seems to me that everything remains the same - rely on your luck.

But its not easy to get this information.