Fraud, Corruption and Sport

Sport plays a collective social, political and cultural role around the world. In recent years, however, it has become associated with stories of corruption including gambling, consumption of illegal substances and institutional vote rigging. This book examines the level, depth and range of fraud and corruption in sport and the methods used to counteract and prevent fraud and corruption which damages the integrity of sport.

Brooks, Aleem and Button argue that sport is often downplayed and defended as 'different' from other businesses. This book demonstrates that sport encounters the same types of fraud and corruption as business everywhere, and those specific to it such as match fixing, point shaving associated with vested gambling interests and tanking to secure better players in the future. Fraud, Corruption and Sport analyses a diverse range of cases internationally from across the sporting world including football, cricket, horse racing, basketball, baseball and boxing.

This book presents a new perspective on the security of sport appealing to students, academics, practitioners and sporting enthusiasts alike.

Graham Brooks is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Portsmouth, UK. His research interests focus on fraud and corruption.

 

Azeem Aleem is Principal Lecturer in Risk and Security at the University of Portsmouth, UK.

 

Mark Button is Reader in Criminology at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He specialises in security and counter fraud.

1. Introduction
PART I: FRAUD, CORRUPTION AND SPORT IN CONTEXT
2. Defining Fraud and Corruption in Sport
3. Defining Fraud
4. Defining Corruption
5. Developing a Typology of Fraud and Corruption in Sport
6. The Art of Bending and Breaking the Rules: A Continuum of Corruption
7. A Culture of Corruption: a Systemic Problem or Protecting Vested Interests?
8. Gambling: A Cause of Fraud and Corruption in Sport?
9. The Extent of Fraud and Corruption in Sport
10. The Problem in Measuring Fraud and Corruption in Sport
11. Surveys and Estimates of Fraud and Corruption in Sport
12. The Limitation of Surveys of Fraud and Corruption Data
13. Gambling and Sport: Measuring 'Attempted' Fraud and Corruption?
14. Why do Those in Sport Commit Fraud?
15. Individual Athletes and Acts of Fraud and Corruption
16. Sporting Institutions and Acts of Fraud and Corruption
17. Internet Fraud, Corruption and Sport
18. Money Laundering and Gambling Websites
19. Under Threat from 'Organised' Crime: Fraud, Corruption and Online Gambling Websites
PART II: KEY BODIES: ENFORCEMENT AND GOVERNANCE
20. Fraud and Corruption in Football
21. Types of Fraud and Corruption in Football
22. Ticket Sales
23. Football Agents, Fees and Potential Tax Evasion
24. Match Fixing and its Association with Gambling
25. The Potential for Money Laundering and Lost Taxation from Football Clubs
26. Countering Fraud and Corruption in Football: A Structural Problem for Football Leagues
27. German Football: Broad Involvement, Limited Regulation and Incentives for Financial Window Dressing
28. The Structure of Italian Football: Creative Accounting in a Family Business?
29. Detecting, Exposing and Preventing Fraud and Corruption in Football
30. Fraud and Corruption in Cricket
31. Types of Fraud and Corruption in Cricket
32. Paying for Information
33. Match Fixing
34. Spot-fixing
35. Countering Fraud and Corruption in Cricket: The Role(s) of the ICC ACSU and National Boards
36. Detecting and Exposing Fraud and Corruption in Cricket: a Need for Special Investigators?
37. Fraud and Corruption in Horse Racing
38. Types of Fraud and Corruption in Horse Racing
39. Trading a Horse or Horse-trading? Buying a Horse at Auction
40. Auction Fraud in the United Kingdom and USA
41. Fixing Horse Races: Doping and Gambling in the Name of Profit?
42. Detecting, Exposing and Countering Fraud and Corruption in Horse Racing
43. Fraud and Corruption in Basketball
44. Types of Fraud and Corruption in Basketball
45. Point Shaving
46. Referee Bias
47. Tanking: Losing to Win?
48. Detecting, Countering and Exposing Fraud and Corruption in Basketball 
49. Fraud and Corruption in Baseball
50. Types of Fraud and Corruption in Baseball
51. Match Fixing for Money: A Justification for Poor Pay and Restrictive Contracts?
52. Match Fixing for Glory: Little League Baseball (LLB) and State Corruption in Taiwan
53. Match Fixing for Organised Interests: Bribery, Threats and Intimidation
54. Detecting, Countering and Exposing Fraud and Corruption in Baseball: The Role(s) of the Major League Baseball (MLB)
55. Recourse to the Law: Getting MLB Attention?
56. Fraud and Corruption in Boxing
57. Types of Fraud and Corruption in Boxing
58. The Participants
59. Boxers
60. Managers
61. Promoters
62. Boxing Commissions
63. Sanctioning Organisations
64. Detecting, Exposing and Countering Fraud and Corruption in Boxing: The Evolution of Federal Regulation of Boxing
65. Preventing some Fraud and Corruption in Boxing: Improving Contracts, Developing a Database of Boxers and Employing Credible Referees and Judges
66. Overview and Final Reflections
Bibliography