Page 21 - Elite-Issue14

Page 20 Issue 14, December 2019 ELITE

The Economy of Betting in Football

Betting and match-fixing is one of the scourges of football, and is
based on criminal organizations and gangs specialized in this field, Omar Khaled
and aims to achieve high financial profits, or to Fourth Year
conduct money laundering operations in large amounts, where
match-fixers seek to ensure the results of matches Specific, and Economics
sometimes the importance of the game is not the most important
element; dealing with marginal or medium-sized games, the most
important issue is to ensure that the outcome of the match
corresponds to the result on which the bet. Juventus, AC Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina have been
Betting is done through the fact that betting companies offer several involved in the most famous scandal in the history of betting
options for the betting on any game, and each option and manipulation of results, known as "Calciopoli" , with
recordings of phone calls showing their relationship with
has a percentage, and multiplied this percentage in the amount of the Italian football referees. That season, the team was accused of
bet, so that the outside is the value of the amount that the bettor will match-fixing and the selection of referees inclined to his
receive, if the right result is expected to meet the bet. For example, advantage. Juventus were penalized for relegation to Serie B,
the percentage of Real Madrid's victory over Barcelona is 2.25%, and with 30 points deducted, but then the number of points
the amount of the bet is 1000 euros, to get the amount that the deducted was reduced to 17 points, then reduced to 9 points,
bookmaker will get if Real Madrid wins, we multiply the and they were withdrawn from the Serie A title in 2005 and
amount of the bet in the percentage given by the company to the 2006, and were banned from playing in the league.
possibility of Real Madrid's victory over Barcelona, and if the Royal Champions, playing three games without an audience.
Club draw or defeat it will win the bet amount. There are several Football in Italy is mostly under the influence of the Mafia and
options other than predicting the winner and the loser; such as bookmakers. There is no doubt that the size of the
expecting a draw, predicting the correct result of the game, the bookmakers is large, according to a study prepared by the
International Center for Sports Security, it revealed that the
winning team in the first half, the winning team in the second half, size of betting and manipulation of the results in football
and many options, according to the profitability system in place, and amounted to 500 billion euros annually, and the value of
always matches are well thought out to determine the proportions. money laundering also In this area 140 billion euros.
To ensure the greatest possible profit and avoid losses, betting The stakes were not limited to Italy or even European
companies look at the percentage of bets on a meeting, and the stadiums. Even the Asian stadiums were not spared the
amount of profit they will reap in all possible cases, choosing the betting, as the Mafia played a role in the loss of Al Hilal to the
appropriate option and apply it, by offering huge bribes to one of the Champions League. The
parties that can make this process successful; As the referee of the legitimate Singapore Singaporean "Raison Raj Perumal" from
game, the team inside his prison, strong surprises, revealing many of the
coach, the president of the club or an influential player, but often the operations carried out by him.
team leader or goalkeeper. The answer to this phenomenon began when Michel Platini
(UEFA president) called for the creation of a European sports
Perhaps Italy is the most famous in the world of bookmakers, and the police force to deal with match-fixing, riots and banned
beginning of the Italian striker in the 1980s, "Paolo Rossi" scorer of drugs. This was first proposed in 2007. The French legend also
the World Cup in 1982, in 1980 "Rossi" was involved in a betting sought that if the continent-wide police force could not be
scandal and match-fixing after which he was suspended from playing formed, countries could introduce individual legislation to
for four years and sentenced Before the World Cup, Azzurri coach punish the perpetrators of corruption. At the same time, in
Enzo Birzut went to the Italian president and asked him to pardon 2011, Interpol and FIFA announced a 10-year joint initiative
Rossi and release him for the World Cup because he did not have aimed at educating people about the risks with workshops,
good attackers. Rossi was released from prison for the national conferences and online educational programs.
mission and led Italy to score. The third World Cup in its history and Last year, FIFA's Professional Players Association launched
won the title of top scorer of the tournament football, to save the the No-Manipulation campaign, a prevention and education
player's life and get him out of prison. program aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of match-
fixing and reducing the conditions that lead to it, said Dr

Andy Harvey of the University of London. In many cases,
players are victims of match-fixing rather than perpetrators.
These steps may have limited the risk and influence of
bookmakers at the moment, but from time to time we hear
about penalties for players or clubs for violating betting laws.

Page 20 Issue 14, December 2019 ELITE