Sports Gambling

[MHSL82]

First, I don’t think this is practical/enforceable, but this was wondering what your opinion was.

Would you be OK it with players betting on a game that they played in if they were only allowed to bet on beating the spread (as in losing by less or winning by more)? As in, they could not bet that they were going to lose or win by less than the spread.

One could influence the game by not scoring in a game that they were already going to win (or lose by more) so that they could win a bet. That would be bad for sports. But when the point of a game is to score and to stop the other team from scoring points, scoring more is already prevented by the other team, so there isn’t as much of a risk of ruining sports.

A few considerations would be whether wanting to win by more runs up the score, just for betting, purposes, and that the unsportsmanlike. (However, scoring more gets you a bigger contract, so maybe they would try to score anyway regardless of sportsmanship. The coach is the one that doesn’t care about that.)

Also, I suppose a player could conspire with another. The biggest thing would be not knowing whether somebody was actually doing it or not. Or if a player does not bet on winning by more or losing by less, then they can get pressured into doing so because they don’t want to look like they’re not confident. So it would have to be confidential. And as said above, it would be hard to enforce beyond the regular rules of not betting.

 

[PDay8810]

Would you be OK it with players betting on a game that they played in if they were only allowed to bet on beating the spread (as in losing by less or winning by more)? As in, they could not bet that they were going to lose or win by less than the spread.

no...this is how we fuck things up and it starts with special exceptions like this

 

[mrschaney]

no...this is how we fuck things up and it starts with special exceptions like this

What he said!

 

[MHSL82]

no...this is how we fuck things up and it starts with special exceptions like this

What he said!

Yes, this is what I believe, too. It’s just everything these days, even in sports, leads towards letting people do everything. A getting with the times. don’t get me wrong, that’s OK or good in many instances. It’s the argument that if you don’t give someone a way to do it, they’re going to do it anyway and it’s their freedom and all that. This is done with arguments of all sorts ranging from morality, drugs, abortion, etc. (Yes, I realize that NFL and other sports have contracts that can restrict freedom because they agreed and they’re being paid to do it.)

For example, Houston Astros not losing their ring was because it never happened before and that you’re really just punishing those who are caught as opposed to the thing that “everyone does anyway.” Or those who accept that the Saints had a system for injury, but instead of punishing them, said that everyone tries to injure. (As far as not having any evidence or being too punitive, that’s a different matter.)

 

[jarntt]

There is no scenario where betting on a game you are in is ok. Come on now. Even if you want to believe a guy won't play in a manner to win his bet, what if a team, for example, plays a guy that is a little banged up in a blowout because he didn't tell them because he wanted to win his bet and he gets hurt? And honestly why give people a reason to suspect foul play even if there is none? As it is I hear people talking like the refs or the league are out to get their team. Imagine if betting was involved?

 

[Southieinnc]

Am I the only one offended by the constant barrage of gambling ads during sorts broadcasts?

 

[MHSL82]

There is no scenario where betting on a game you are in is ok. Come on now. Even if you want to believe a guy won't play in a manner to win his bet, what if a team, for example, plays a guy that is a little banged up in a blowout because he didn't tell them because he wanted to win his bet and he gets hurt? And honestly why give people a reason to suspect foul play even if there is none? As it is I hear people talking like the refs or the league are out to get their team. Imagine if betting was involved?

I agree, but the difference was that the common notion against gambling was to avoid someone throwing a game or missing on purpose. So gambling that you’d win by more wouldn’t bring the scenario above.

Now, if Player A from Team A bet that Team A would win by more and Player B from Team B helped and got a cut, that could be bad. Or sportsmanship of not running out the clock may be altered. And yes, unless there was an effective regulatory system, they would always be accusations of a player actually betting that they would lose instead of win. But we already have that with a ban on gambling.

 

[MHSL82]

Am I the only one offended by the constant barrage of gambling ads during sorts broadcasts?

Offended?

Nothing happens when you’re offended… (Steve Hughes)

youtube.com

Just kidding.

 

[jarntt]

I agree, but the difference was that the common notion against gambling was to avoid someone throwing a game or missing on purpose. So gambling that you’d win by more wouldn’t bring the scenario above.

Now, if Player A from Team A bet that Team A would win by more and Player B from Team B helped and got a cut, that could be bad. Or sportsmanship of not running out the clock may be altered. And yes, unless there was an effective regulatory system, they would always be accusations of a player actually betting that they would lose instead of win. But we already have that with a ban on gambling.

So what if a QB bets his team will win by 10 and they are up by 4 late in the game and instead of playing it safe he makes a risky play and gets intercepted and they lose the game because of it?

there is no way this will ever be ok

 

[fastforward]

I glad some of you aren't snooker or soccer fans.

 

[PDay8810]

I glad some of you aren't snooker or soccer fans.

us too.

lol

 

[fastforward]

On a more general point the majority of 'fixing' in sports occurs around spot fixing rather than outcome fixing. The NFL is behind other sports in this regard, but it's moving in that direction and as betting limits increase it will become more prevalent.