What is match-fixing?

Match-fixing is one of the most serious threats that regulated, professional, and amateur sports face today. Even before the mass legalization of sports betting in the United States, match-fixing was a serious problem.

Organizations such as the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) have been tracking instances of corruption in sports worldwide, with 300 suspicious betting patterns emerging in 2025 alone.

Yet, match-fixing is a global issue that sports face, and not onlybecause of the legalization of sports gambling. Several huge cases have exposed the depth of the problem, embroiling MLB, NBA, NFL, and college-level athletes.

The definition of match-fixing

Match-fixing is difficult to define today. Historically, match-fixing is defined as sabotaging your game so that the other team or player may win. However, with the advances of novel sports betting markets, match-fixing has become even harder to define.

The reason has to do with proposition bets, or the ability to bet on athletes' and teams’ performances. Something seemingly innocuous as a player skipping a game in the last moment, could generate a significant payout for someone with the right information at the right time.

Match-fixing could also come down to throwing a fight outright by holding back, as the UFC has experienced recently, or tipping off gamblers about what you intend to do during a game, as we saw in the NBA.

In other words, match-fixing today must be defined as any attempt to perform less than one’s best ability, and thus sabotage game expectations by misplaying.

Is match-fixing legal?

No, match-fixing is not legal, and the consequences of engaging in match-fixing are serious, both for the people who may place bets acting on insider information and the athletes who are themselves embroiled in the conspiracy.

Match-fixing can be subject to both civil and criminal penalties, usually the result of both.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has issued penalties and suspensions to tennis players over match-fixing, but high-profile cases in the United States, such as those of Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter, as well as others, have led to more serious legal action.

Timothy McCormack became the first gambler to be handed down a two-year prison sentence for his participation in a conspiracy that alleges involvement from NBA players, including Terry Rozier, who is facing further legal proceedings.

In which sports is match-fixing popular?

Some sports tend to be more vulnerable to match-fixing, owing to their overall popularity and reach.

Soccer usually generates the most suspicious betting signals, which translates into regulatory action. The sports that are most corrupt and susceptible to match-fixing manipulation are:

• Soccer (37%)
• Tennis (25%)
• Esports (11%)
• Table Tennis (11%)
• Basketball (9%)
• Other Sports (7%)

This is not to say that other sports are without their issues. Former Major League Baseball player and Los Angeles Dodgers playerYasiel Puig Valdés was recently found guilty of lying about placing bets with an illegal sports gambling operation.

Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from basketball also suggests that the game is fertile ground for such offenses, and this is hardly the full list of elite athletes who have been embroiled in sports corruption scandals.

Why is match-fixing illegal?

Match-fixing is illegal for various reasons. It can be considered a conspiracy and fraud, as well as illegal gambling, but the exact framing of the offense will vary from case to case. Those involved break multiple ethical and legal tenets that expose them to civil and criminal penalties.

Match-fixing is legally defined as an offense, and even in those cases where legal action is not always possible or clearly defined, sports bodies are entitled to suspend teams and players for deliberately underperforming in order to influence gambling outcomes.

What is the punishment for match-fixing?

The punishment for match-fixing will vary, with clear examples of what thai entails for sports gamblers and professional, college, and amateur athletes already available. Essentially, a person who has proven participation in match-fixing would face one of several possible penalties.

In the case of athletes, suspensions and bans can be handed down by sports bodies. However, ending one’s career is hardly the only ramification of choosing to participate in sports gambling.

Athletes such as Rozier and Porter are facing further legal action at the time of writing this article, indicating the seriousness of their offenses. Other than that, financial fines can be applied, and in rare cases, prison time.

McCormack, the gambler involved in the Rozier saga, is going to serve a two-year prison term because of using information to gamble on the outcome of games he knew the specifics about.

Does esports have a match-fixing problem?

Rather interestingly, electronic sports or esports is also one of the most flagged competitions that raise suspicions over betting and corruption. 11% of all suspicious betting tips submitted to IBIA in 2025 were related to esports.

Match-fixing in esports is focused on Counter-Strike 2 more so than in any other video game. Esports is arguably a novelty discipline, and despite the multi-million dollar investments in prize pools, safeguards are still developing.

However, law enforcement has been catching up, with six people arrested in Australia over their role in fixing games on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in 2019.

What is the most corrupt sport in the world?

As previously mentioned that is soccer. Soccer presently raises the most suspicious betting alerts overall, potentially because of how popular the game is and the fact that it is played in virtually every country in the world.

A large-scale soccer scandal is underway in Turkey, where the country has made multiple arrests of referees who have bet thousands of times on soccer games. The practice is reportedly widespread in the country, with hundreds of referees engaging in this behavior.

Although soccer gets flagged the most, the recent NBA saga indicates that even elite sports at the highest level can be affected by bad actors and athletes’ poor decisions. Nuance matters and is naturally important.

Match-fixing in sports FAQs

Is there match-fixing in CS2?

Yes, match-fixing has occurred in CS2 and other esports, usually involving lower-tier tournaments where oversight is weaker. However, major organizers and integrity bodies actively investigate and punish such cases.

Is match-fixing in snooker popular?

Match-fixing in snooker is not widespread, but it has occurred in several high-profile cases. Authorities and governing bodies closely monitor the sport and impose strict sanctions on players involved.

How serious is match-fixing in sports?

Match-fixing is a serious global problem that threatens the integrity of sports and undermines trust among fans and bettors. While not pervasive in every sport, it remains a persistent risk that regulators and sports organizations continuously combat.