Spot-fixing, in sport, is the act of deciding dishonestly and conducting illegal activity. This ultimately means cheating when gambling in any type of sport.
One of the biggest dangers in sports gambling is the possible incidents that may come with it, and the obsession that may lead to cheating. An example of this would be the incident that occurred last year towards the end of 2019. According to SuperSport, former Proteas cricketer ,Gulam Bodi, was found guilty of spot-fixing in the 2015 Ram Slam T20 tournament. He pleaded guilty to the corruption and was sentenced to five years in prison at the end of 2019. He was charged with eight counts of corruption for his illegal betting.
“One of the biggest dangers in sports gambling is the possible incidents that may come with it, and the obsession that may lead to cheating.“
Not only is this a concern when considering sports gambling, but obsession and the ability to easily lose money becomes a worrying factor as well. Sundial confirmed that a shocking R71 billion was spent on gambling alone in the Super Bowl VI. Most of the time players [ gamblers] do not make this money back. According to Sundial, sports betting is just as addictive as normal gambling and chances of winning can often be lower. The money loss can cripple individuals, families, and businesses.
When considering normal betting, there are statistics that can help some to understand gambling. According to The Gambling Site, a person only has a 30% chance of walking out of a casino a winner. The Gambling Site also confirmed that below 0,5% of people are professional gamblers and in the USA alone, around 20 million people have a gambling addiction. The statistics are said to be similar for sports gamblers.
Ultimately, sports gambling may not be worth the risk unless limits and boundaries are set in place. Winners know when to stop.
The Responsible Gambling Helpline is (+27 11 026 7323) *toll free*
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