Erich Richter, New York Post
“The fix is in” is oftentimes a joke, but recently it seems like that’s been more of a reality than humor.
Gambling scandals have always been an ugly black eye in sports, dating back to the early 20th century with the infamous Black Sox.
And it likely dates back longer than that.
Fixing sports for profit is something that has likely been happening for centuries, including when the Gladiators battled in the Colosseum.
You’ll notice that a lot of this happened in the underground market, with legal online sports betting making it substantially easier to catch those looking to put down big money on a game they control.
But like anything, the widespread availability has also made it easier to find out who is attempting to make a quick buck while compromising the league.
Here’s a look back at major sports betting controversies.
Major sports betting controversies
Arnold Rothstein fixes the 1919 World Series with help from eight White Sox players
We’ll start with organized crime figure Arnold Rothstein and the 1919 White Sox, who threw the World Series.
Rothstein led a gambling syndicate in the early 1900s. He was able to compromise players by promising to pay the White Sox players once they had successfully lost the World Series.
Court records show that each player was given between $70,000-$100,000 to lose the World Series to the Reds that year.
Rothstein was never officially convicted of the crime.
Rest is here…
