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?
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We don’t want insider trading. NFL players have information not available to the public.
Lets say a RB on your team has low odds to hit a certain amount of yards. You know the other RB has an undisclosed injury and he’s going to be on limited snaps, and you take the bet.
A little less devious, your team has an under over on passing yards. You know your coach likes the passing matchups, and is going to run less than the public thinks. You make the bet.
Now lets say you can only bet on your team to win. Your star QB has been out a few weeks, and the public dosen’t know when he will return. You know that he’s going to actually play this week and take the bet to win.
Another thing is you don’t want bets to influence how they play. Let’s imagine you have a QB who places a bet on themselves to hit a certain amount of yards. The game is on the line and he’s close to the bet. The run is the better play on the RPO but he keeps the ball to make the bet happen. It results in a worse game and a worse viewing experience.
You could maybe figure out ways to prevent all of this, but why not just ban betting on NFL games all together?
Theres no way I can bet in myself as a pri baseball player and actually win. For example if I am Reuben “Lead Pockets” McFrenulum of the Pawnee Little Sebastians, and I bet on myself to go 4 for 5 with a cycle and 7 RBIS. A ridiculously good game to be sure. And I am 4 for 4 with a cycle and 7 RBIS after 7 but The Little Sebastions are down 13-11 when I come up to the plate in the 9th with two outs and the bases loaded. If I get a hit the Little sebastians win and I lose my bet, If I strike out The Little Sebastians lise but I get my money. And now you know why they call me lead pockets.
Betting rules for sports were made before players made a lot of money. So preventing them from betting meant they wouldn’t be able to become independent, whether through legal betting or not- legal betting(as in sharing with someone on opposing team or other workarounds.
In general if a rule or law involves money it exists to protect the wealthy and prevent the poor from becoming wealthy. It can have rational reasons and arguments, but the driving force is almost always class warfare.
After reading all the comments on here, they should just allow the players and coaches to bet but only against bets from the opposing players and coaches. Really put that “insider” information to use.
In the 1990’s an English soccer team Wimbledon kicked off a game by smashing the ball straight out of play. The players then did something odd, they were seen to be happy about this and even the manager had a smile on his face.
In soccer because games are generally low scoring bookies would offer odds (over/under) on things like “time of first corner kick or throw in”. After an investigation it was found that the Wimbledon players and manager had put large sums of money on the under for the time of first throw in.
At the time the only rule was against betting on your own team to lose so they weren’t actually charged with anything but the laws were changed and now any soccer player that gambles on anything to do with their own team is immediately banned from the sport.
Because you have insider information. It’s the same reason you can’t buy stock in your own company on a whim. Yes, you should want your company’s stock to go higher, just like an athlete always wants to win… but you know that you might have a good quarter or that your industry is about to do well, etc. Same thing with an athlete, you have lots of information about players and performance that the other folks making bets do not.
Would you be interested in a bet that sounded like this?
“I’ll bet you $100 that the next word out of my mouth after this sentence is Spaghetti…”
Would you take that bet, or let anyone else take that bet, knowing that I can just say the word Spaghetti and get the money?
Integrity of the game is a pillar of the experience. Gambling, regardless of intent, is a really bad look. You don’t want anyone to have any reason at all no matter how small to question if the games are rigged or not
The biggest reason is gambling debt. So you only bet on your team to win, that’s great but your team is now 2-12 and you are favored to win. You’re down 50k and your bookie says, if you lose he’ll wipe your debt clean
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