To Fix Or Not To Fix, That Is The Gamble
Author: Mrunmayee Mainkar
SY BSC 2024-28
Estimated Reading Time ~ 4 minutes
There is nothing like chilling and watching your favourite game, knowing that you don’t have to get up early the next day. Your favourite snacks, relaxing in that one comfy spot on the couch, and watching your favourite team or sport live – what a dream! But it does suck when you become aware of the possibility that the match is fixed. Hurts, amirite? Of course, from our perspective, whenever we hear about any such incident, we deem all those involved in it as villains. Many sportspersons with god-like status have been known to participate in match-fixing incidents, crushing the expectations of thousands. However, exploring this topic from a psychological aspect, by understanding the motivations to engage in such acts and their effects on the players, would provide us with a deeper insight into the matter.
As deduced from its name, match-fixing is the act of pre-determining the result of a game. Found across a plethora of sports, it is done for future advantages and profits by going against the rules and laws, gambling on the sport, and the desire of some individuals to manipulate the game. It can be done in many ways, such as bribing the referees, forcing players to underperform, changing the results under coercion, etc. The basic motivations are pretty common – greed, money, financial restraints forcing someone to engage in the same, etc.
Without a doubt, match-fixing puts a huge question mark on the sport’s integrity and the players’ talent. A classic example pertaining to the same is the 1919 Black Sox Scandal in the USA, regarding baseball. In this scandal, 8 players from the Chicago White Sox team were accused of intentionally losing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds team as a result of bribery. The motivation behind them doing so was because they felt underappreciated and underpaid, alongside the presence of organised crime within the team. Another such historic example is the 1915 British Football Betting Scandal of English football during World War I. Players from Manchester United and Liverpool were found guilty of fixing a match between the two teams. The game, played in April 1915, ended in a 2–0 win for Manchester United. Investigations revealed that players from both teams had conspired to fix the outcome so as to profit from bets placed on the specific scoreline. The motivations were thought to be low wages, uncertainty due to the war, and the general financial struggles faced by players at the time. As a result, seven players were banned for life by the Football Association, although a few were later included in the team after serving in the military. One thing common to both of these examples is the poor financial security of the players, which induced them to participate in match-fixing. It was not that they wanted to do it, but rather were “forced by circumstances” to do it. On a not-so-similar but apt tangent, the Supreme Court of India had made a statement in 2024 – “Criminals are not born out but made.” So, I guess you could say that the same applies in sports too.
A famous example in cricket is the match-fixing scandal involving Mohammad Azharuddin, He allegedly introduced the captain of the South African team to bookies or bookmakers and admitted fixing 3 matches. He was banned by BCCI for life in the year 2000, but the ban was lifted by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Many such other examples can be found across several countries and sports. As disheartening as it is, it is a part of the sports world.
On an interesting tangent, the presence of organised crime in sport reveals the intersection of drug-trafficking and match-fixing. People involved in drug trafficking are often involved in match-fixing since it is an additional source of profit. Since money earned from drugs is becoming difficult to manage given the increased police and law intervention, match-fixing is fairly easier to delve into through betting markets, both online and offline. In a nutshell, match-fixing is a way of diversifying such people’s income sources. It is easy for crime syndicates to manipulate players, coaches, referees, and team owners using their existing resources and infrastructure, bribing, and threatening, etc. In such ways, match-fixing has become one of many tools used by such networks to generate and clean dirty profits. According to the 2021 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global Report on Corruption in Sport, the amount wagered on illegal betting markets is between $340 billion and $1.7 trillion.
Match-fixing has quite the impact on players. If found guilty, it affects their career, health, both mental and physical, relationships, popularity, etc. Many have been banned from playing matches in their fields if the case was considered serious. Apart from the legal and career-related consequences, players suffer from severe mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts in some cases. The fear of public backlash and shame can lead to social isolation and emotional breakdowns, often difficult to recover from. Their performance, even if they are allowed to return, is affected by stress, lack of confidence, and the burden of public judgment. Teammates may distance themselves, eventually breaking trust and altering team dynamics. The player’s reputation is oftentimes tarnished forever, affecting sponsorship deals and media presence, which is a major income source. Relationships with family and close friends can suffer, as many feel betrayed or ashamed of what they have done. Financial pressure and guilt can be embedded in the mind for years, even after the incident becomes stale. For some players, the experience leaves a psychological scar, making it difficult for them to get reinstated into the sport or society as a result of villainising themselves. But no amount of guilt can absolve a crime, so do the players really deserve to go through such torment and suffering even after such a scandal becomes a thing of the past? Should we – as an audience – sympathise with them?
I’m not saying that every person involved in match-fixing should be thrown in jail, removed from society, and forgotten by everyone. While such behaviour cannot be excused, it is important to understand the actual motivation behind doing so and help players deal with it. Such incidents can often reveal loopholes and faults in the game, as well as how these players are being manipulated or threatened. They expose the flaws of the game and make it real, even human, if I may say so, as opposed to the way it is glamorised on television. When Lou Vincent was found to be involved in match fixing in 2014, he received 11 life bans from England and Wales Cricket. Even though a lot of time has passed since the incident, the impact on his mental health was irreversible. He battled depression, isolation, and suicide attempts. He even had to go through rehabilitation due to excessive drinking. It took him a long time to find and love himself, after embracing all those feelings of failure, fear, and anger.
Such incidents, in my opinion, prove that whatever may be the reason, the basic motivations – greed, jealousy, financial insecurity, envy, pride, etc. – are what drive people to do such things. And while there is an undeniable legal aspect to it, it is impossible to ignore the fact that ultimately, the player is the one who is going to be affected. What matters is understanding that the underlying issues are just as systemic in nature as they are personal.