Sports Gambling vs. Match Fixing

Sports Gambling vs. Match Fixing

Author: Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts August 1, 2023 Duration: 32:29

Americans bet about $165 billion a year, but here’s something Tim O’Brien worries about: When there’s billions of dollars on the line, how likely is it that your favorite sport is going to get corrupted? Gamblers and criminals have been trying to rig games since the Olympics first began – it still goes on all the time if you look for it. Enter SportRadar, where former intelligence operatives, police detectives, journalists, and computer geeks track 500,000 sporting matches around the world every year, on the hunt for potential fixes.

We first published this episode around the Super Bowl as part of a three-part series about the past, present, and future of the multi-billion-dollar sports betting boom, and its impact on games, fans, and society. You can also listen to the other two episodes in the series: about the rise of mobile betting and the future of tribal casinos

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Tim O'Brien, a senior executive editor at Bloomberg Opinion, hosts this weekly Crash Course from Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts. Instead of observing from the sidelines, each episode places you directly inside the high-stakes environments where major disruptions in business and society actually unfold. The narrative-driven podcast examines what happens when powerful forces-like raw ambition and innovative thinking-meet immovable objects like entrenched competition and institutional power. These collisions aren't abstract; they happen in the very real worlds of Wall Street trading floors, Main Street small businesses, Hollywood studios, and the corridors of Washington, D.C. By dissecting these pivotal moments, the series uncovers the practical, often surprising lessons that emerge from the chaos. It’s a deep dive into the mechanics of change, offering clarity on how today’s upheavals shape tomorrow’s landscape. You’ll hear detailed stories and analysis that go beyond the headlines to explain the why and how behind the news, making complex power struggles accessible and compelling.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 67

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Americans bet about $165 billion a year, but here’s something Tim O’Brien worries about: When there’s billions of dollars on the line, how likely is it that your favorite sport is going to get corrupted? Gamblers and cri…