Introduction
Depending on which source you feel can be the most trusted, illegal gambling in the United States involves $80 billion to $580 billion annually. Most evidence points to the involvement of Organized Crime in this situation, but, contrary to popular belief, the organized crime is not just Italian, but includes French, Russian, German, Japanese and Chinese gangs. This paper will analyze the situation of organized crime in sports by discussing: A) The Scope of the problem, B) History, C) Organized Crime control, D) Can it be Controlled?
Scope of the Problem
America is a sports-loving nation and there is strong fan support for many different types of teams -- baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Gambling on the outcome of sports events is, however, not a uniquely American institution, since history records gambling on races as long ago as 2,500 years.
In the introduction of this paper, a range of $80 billion to $580 billion was mentioned as the scope of illegal sports gambling. The upper figure is probably more the figures of “legal sports gambling.” Despite its popularity, sports wagering in America is legal only in Nevada and Oregon. Nevada has 142 legal sports books that allow wagering on professional and amateur sports while Oregon’s program is connected with its Lottery and only allows gambling on pro football games without the spread. The Nevada Gaming Commission reports that sports wagering in these books averages between $2 billion to $3 billion per year. One major strip casino, the Tropicana, said that in the year 2000, betting on amateur events accounted for 33 percent of its book revenue.
Although much of the illegal sports gambling centers on professional sports and horse r...
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...tates House, Organized Crime in Sports. U.S. Congress. House. Select Committee on Crime. Organized Crime in Sports (racing). Hearings. May 9-July 27, 1972. 1973. 92d Congress, 2d Session.
Hyde Schedules Hearing on College Sports Gambling, online at http://www.house.gov.judiciary/na061200.htm
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Some of the most prolific franchises in sports, like the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts of the National Football League, have moved to other cities breaking off their loyalty to the hometown fans. More important than the actual moves are the more frequent threatened moves. When teams “play the field” and explore the option of playing in other cities they are able to lure interested cities into giving them just about any royalty they want. New stadiums are only the beginning. The willingness to threaten departure has secured for teams a variety of land deals, lower taxes, more revenues from parking and concessions, control of stadium operations, guaranteed ticket sales, renovation of stadiums with luxury seating, control over neighborhoods and transportation systems, and that’s only the beginning of the list.
Baseball has been through lots of adversity throughout the years. Strikes, wars and corruption have given the game a black eye but nothing has hurt the integrity of the game more than gambling. Having baseball played honestly is the most important part of baseball and doubting the integrity can cause serious harm to the game.
Abstract: Collegiate athletes participating in the two revenue sports (football, men's basketball) sacrifice their time, education, and risk physical harm for their respected programs. The players are controlled by a governing body (NCAA) that dictates when they can show up to work, and when they cannot show up for work. They are restricted from making any substantial financial gains outside of their sports arena. These athletes receive no compensation for their efforts, while others prosper from their abilities. The athletes participating in the two revenue sports of college athletics, football and men's basketball should be compensated for their time, dedication, and work put forth in their respected sports.
Noll, Roger, and Zimbalist, Andrew. Sports, Jobs, and Taxes: The Economic Impact of Sports Teams and Stadiums. Brooking institutions press, Summer 1997. Vol. 15 No. 3.
Johnson, Dennis A., and John Acquaviva. "Point/counterpoint: Paying College Athletes."The Sport Journal 15.1 (2012). Questia School. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
Luzer, Daniel. "College Guide: The Profit in College Sports." The Washington Monthly. N.p., 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Johnson, Dennis A., and John Acquaviva. "Point/counterpoint: Paying College Athletes." The Sport Journal 15.1 (2012). Questia School. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
When looking into the history of our culture, there are many subtopics that fall under the word, “history.” Topics such as arts and literature, food, and media fall into place. Among these topics reside sports. Since the beginning of time, sports have persisted as an activity intertwined with the daily life of people. Whether it is a pick-up game of football in the backyard, or catching an evening game at the local stadium, sports have become the national pastime. According to Marcus Jansen of the Sign Post, more specifically, baseball is America’s national pastime, competing with other sports (Jansen 1). Providing the entertainment that Americans pay top dollar for, live the role models, superstars, and celebrities that put on a jersey as their job. As said in an article by Lucas Reilly, Americans spend close to $25.4 billion dollars on professional sports (Reilly 4). The people that many children want to be when they grow up are not the firefighters or astronauts told about in bed time stories. These dream jobs or fantasies have become swinging a bat or tossing a football in front of millions of screaming fans. When asked why so many dream of having such job, the majority will respond with a salary related answer. In today’s day and age, the average athlete is paid more than our own president. The cold hard facts show that in professional sports, the circulation of money is endless. Certain teams in professional baseball and football are worth over millions of dollars. Consequently, the teams who are worth more are able to spend more. The issue that arises with this philosophy is virtually how much more? League managers, team owners and other sports officials have sought out a solution to the surfacing problem. Is it fair to let...
...sition of the Mob, and the Mafia is known for making comebacks in a hurry. For example, the highpoint of the Mafia was said to be in the 1920?s, and slowly it decreased until the end of World War II when organized crime came back with much stronger than when the war started. This shows a good understanding of what the Mafia is capable of doing in short periods of time. The men who have tried to get rid of the Mafia time in and time out have made some progress. "Responsible groups of Americans have, at times, waged campaigns in the media to obliterate any assumption that crime is dominated by people of Italian descent, claiming that existence of an American Mafia had not been fully established" (Mafia Image). The opinions will differ in that sense. Some say that the Mafia is a vast organization that continues to grow in power, while others say that if the mafia still exists to this day, the old ways of organized crime will never be the same as it has been in this century. The desire, need, brutality, wisdom, and style of what we know as the Mafia only exists in books and movies. No matter the opinion, the Mafia still claims the place in American History if it still exists or not.
“I don’t trust society to protect us, I have no intention of placing my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they managed to con a block of people to vote for them.” This quote from The Godfather, which is famous for glorifying the Mafia, reflects the concerns of criminology within organized crime. Using ideas from Sutherland, Rawls and Nussbaum, one might argue that the relationship between organized crime and the governance relating to it plays a significant role and influence on society.
Pace, Denny F. and Jimmie C. Styles. Organized Crime: Concepts and Controls. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice Hall: 1975.
Over the past twenty years, many things have changed and evolved to impact our economy. From cell phones to music to media, we are all constantly affected. The most influential aspect though, in my opinion, has been America’s biggest game, the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl by all means effects our economies in every way, shape, and form. The sport is one of the most complex social institutions in American Society. Sports effect major institutions of society, including: the mass media, politics, religion, education, and family. The Super Bowl gathers thousands of viewer’s attentions including those who do not usually watch the regular season games.
While sports for the spectators are merely entertainment, the economics of the industry are what drives businesses to become involved. Sports have become more of a business entity rather than an entertainment industry due to the strong economic perception of the over all industry. There are several instances in which economics may contribute to the effect on the sports industry, such as: the success of a team, the price of a ticket, the amount of money an athlete will make, and the amount of profit a team will make. The success of an...
Sports are governed by sets of rules or customs and often, competition. Sports have always been a way to connect us to our past and to build optimism about the future. Sport’s a way to bond the people despite differences in race, age and gender. However, today the game that is supposed to teach character, discipline and team work is teaching cheating. And in today’s world, with fame, endorsement, drugs and so much to gain, it is not surprising that athletes are cheating in sports. Cheating in sports is not new thing; it started the day when humans first discovered athletic competitions. According to the Los Angeles Times (August 20, 2006) “More than 2,000 years before Mike Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear and was disqualified in the boxing ring, Eupolus of Thessaly, a boxer in the Olympics of 388 BC, bribed three of his opponents to take dives. Historians consider Eupolus' crime the first recorded act of cheating in sports” (Pugmire 7). We have been seeking an easier way to win. Cheating in sports, which recently has manifested in diverse forms, is more a result of increasing pressure to win from the sponsors and team management, especially in the context of sport becoming a career rather than an act of recreation. What actually constitutes cheating? When does gamesmanship stop and cheating start? And should we try to stop cheating in sports? The use of illegal drugs, huge amount of money and betting is ruining the fame of sports. Hence, cheating in sports is caused by drugs and the desire for endorsement and fame which are getting more effective in recent.