Fears of Taint in Tennis Betting

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tennis balls.jpgSports bettors have it tough, especially if they're involved in any way with professional sports.  Mathieu Montcourt was fined and suspended for making tennis bets, because he's a professional tennis player.  

Montcourt was injured at the time and decided to make small bets on football, tennis, and Formula 1 racing.  They were just small bets that were legal.  Since he was out with an injury, he used these bets to make the games a little more exciting.  Never once did he bet on himself in tennis games.  He only wagered a total of $192 on tennis and was fined by the governing body.  His punishment was in the form of a 5 week suspension and $12,000 fine.

Professional sports are worried about the taint from games being fixed.  This partially explains the zero tolerance policy.  Unfortunately, the governing bodies can't have it both ways.  They can't legalize gambling for adults and make it ubiquitous (like it is in some European countries), and not expect their own players to make wagers.  

Betting on oneself, using inside information, or the slightest whiff of a fixed game should be punished severely.  The punishment is harsh but it is related to the seriousness of the infraction.  

Montcourt's actions nowhere near approached that high level of wrongdoing.  The punishment should have been more reasonably related to his crime.  His small time recreational bets should not have resulted in suspension and a $12,000 fine.  A slap on the wrist would have suffice.


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