Imagine the following. Someone approaches you online with certified, guaranteed information regarding a match that he knows will be fixed. The person, let’s call him Joe, has an “insider tip” about the outcome of a football match, and he’s willing to give it to you for free. He goes so far to brand it as a “100 % guaranteed” tip.

Seems like a sure and safe bet, what could go wrong, right? We hope that the feeling in your gut has already veered you away from Joe because of what would undoubtedly follow.

Today we’re going to be talking about fixed matches and how the only way to “make money” off betting on them is to avoid them altogether.

So, What are Fixed Matches?

To start, we have to make a distinction between fixed matches as an unsportsmanlike, unfortunate and unwelcome occurrence in professional sports, and tips regarding allegedly fixed matches. Make no mistake, fixed matches are very much real, and there have been (too many) documented and proven examples of it throughout sports history.

So, what does the term “fixed” relate to? A fixed match is any sporting event in which the final result has been manipulated, either by an athlete or any party involved (referee, any other sporting official…). According to certain research, about 300 football matches in Europe are indeed, fixed, revealing a less than appealing side of the “beautiful game”. Even the Ancient Greeks had to “wrestle” with this problem with documented match fixing related to wrestling.

It is a very specific and delicate problem because of the complicated legal implications it comes with, not to mention the complete lack of ethics and sportsmanship.

And when and how does betting come into play?

A “100 Percent Guaranteed” Tip

The internet has been flooded with various sites and social media profiles claiming to have inside info on fixed matches which they are willing to exchange, sometimes for free, but mostly for financial compensation. These scenarios always end in the punter losing their money.

Before we delve into the machinations of these hustlers, ask yourself one question - if someone indeed had information regarding the outcome of a match, why not simply invest all of the money on the result for themselves?

These characters pry on those willing to turn a quick profit, who in turn will sadly neglect the illogical aspect of the deal they are offered. They also need a lot of punters involved for their plan to succeed, which is why we’re here to make sure that you are not one of them.

May the Odds Be Forever in Your Favour - How Do They Do It?

The most common method is that the person with the tip about the allegedly fixed match will contact the punter with a result, let’s say that the match will end in a draw. He will give this information for free, because he wants to prove his credibility, and just to make sure the punter knows that he’s solid as a rock, he will offer him another one after that, also for free. Both of these tips turn out to be true, and having proven his credibility, he will want X dollars for the third tip.

Unbeknownst to the punter, this same maneuver was simultaneously played out with a large number of people, out of which ⅓ received a tip that the match would end in a draw, ⅓ that the home team would win, and the remaining third that the away team would come out on top. This ensures that a certain number of people will unfortunately always get the correct end result just because the other two groups did not.

After a successful hoax, the profile disappears, nowhere to be found, now looking for another X amount of people to take their money from.

This is something that happens every day and it is extremely important to realise such information as a hoax the moment you see it. Also, it is important to make a distinction between these “swindler” types of pages and genuine, authentic sports and analysis buffs who are willing to share their own insights on sports for free in hope of helping someone on their betting quests. You can very easily spot the difference as these blogs/sites/pages do not claim that information is 100% true as well as offering it for free.

Conclusion

True betting, as any seasoned betting man or woman will tell you, is done based on thorough analysis and facts, never lucky guesses, assumptions or “lightning in a bottle” scenarios. It is a game of patience, dedication and of course, sometimes a bit of luck.

It is important that you place both your trust and your bets with someone who has a proven track record of credibility and excellence.

Sportmarket has been and always will be just that.