Eli5: Why are professional athletes typically banned from placing bets that are in favor of their own team/themselves?

Question

I understand why you would not want athletes to throw games on purpose if they place a large bet for the opposing team to win, however let’s say I am a pitcher in baseball, and I place a bet for my own team to win, wouldn’t that only motivate me to play better because I stand to win more money by doing so?

In: 1352

Answer 1

You wouldn’t want your politician, who is supposed to represent you, getting a lot of financial incentives from, say, corporations and lobbyists, would you?