Sports betting: Dark Web

Let’s face it – sport today has deviated somewhat from the original ancient Greek Spartan meaning, or from the old French “desport”.

It is not just about the word’s athletes competing in a fair game over the spoils of a wealthy and wasteful society; but more often than not – about the powerful financial interests that bankroll the show for capital gain. Gambling on the outcomes of sport games, as indeed betting on the outcome of any other human endeavor is perhaps one of the most visible industries that surround the sport. In betting, one’s win is another one’s loss, but eventually the casino always wins.

A multi-billion industry of online sport betting platforms enjoys the spoils of human curiosity over the perennial question of who wins and who loses. It may be the subject of tough regulatory rules and government scrutiny in some jurisdictions; yet the industry has not always been blemish-less in the face of allegations of abuse. Indeed money laundering, dark web fixed matches, and similar allegations have plagued the nascent sport betting industry since inception.

As many sport betting jurisdictions are now facing an ever tougher pressure from global financial watchdogs, the industry is now facing a stark and inescapable choice – comply with stringent anti-money laundering rules, or perish in the depths of underground deep web.

Yet it is obvious that the hidden web is not the solution to sport funding. For centuries, athletes competed to push the boundaries of human strength and spirit. As long as the Olympian flame remains alive, genuine sport betting will remain a hallmark and a testimony to human curiosity. Just as genuine sport itself, sports betting must be free from corrupt practices such as fixed matches, shady undercover deep web deals that undermine the good nature of the sport.