Question: If the amount of money bet on sport is equivalent to (or considerably beyond) turnover - is the temptation for sport to fix the outcomes of not just games but entire championships irresistible?

It's comforting to think the world's major sports are prepared to leave potential billion-dollar outcomes to chance - but is it realistic?

If the Mafia's activities are anything to go by it's just a matter of attacking the weakest link in the chain. Whilst it's likely to be tricky encouraging, say, a multi-millionaire NFL quarterback to shave points - can the same be said of referees or other officials?

I know a chap who used to referee football professionally as far back as the 50s and 60s. Before a Juventus game in Italy he was invited into the boardroom by the Agnelli family who were a major power in Italy controlling both Juventus FC and FIAT. He was given the big welcome and full hospitality, he was also presented with a rather nice gold watch. Although he says he wasn't openly bribed, he did feel as though he was being influenced by what was then an extremely wealthy and powerful family.

Then there are the famous cases of match fixing. Hansie Cronje for one example. Died as the only passenger on a chartered plane and left 8 properties and 19 bank accounts through which a million pound had passed.

When you think of the money floating round sport and gambling these days it's hard not to believe that there will be major influences on outcomes. Anyone thinking modern sport is black and white is seriously naive.

Horse racing has always been about betting and that's not rigged.

From purely a BUSINESS perspective I think you'd be crazy NOT TO fix entire competitions. Sure, there's the risk of discovery - although a few greased palms should easily mitigate the problem. Besides, you can always throw some low-level dweeb under the bus and claim complete and utter ignorance.

What's to stop, say, the Premiership from instructing referees to "go easy" on Leicester City?

I'm not saying it has happened. But I don't see why it couldn't happen.

Lets be honest, you see conspiracy in everything, because you're unhinged.

Spot on.

Still trying desperately to get people to notice you?

From the NBC.com archives:

"I'll betcha five bucks you can't guess how much money was bet on the Super Bowl this year. Double or nothing: How much do Americans wager on March Madness annually?

Sports betting is big money, and a bid by New Jersey to get a piece of the action is easily understood when you consider some of these numbers:

According to the Nevada Gaming Commission, $3.2 billion was wagered in sports bets in the state’s casinos in 2011. Of that amount, $1.34 billion or 41 percent was handled just for football.

Sports fans bet a record $98.9 million at Nevada casinos on Super Bowl XLVII, according to the American Gaming Association. After paying out to bettors, Nevada sports books earned $7.2 million on 2013’s game.

Extrapolating from Nevada data, the financial planning website Mint estimates that more than $8 billion is wagered every year on the Super Bowl alone. An estimated 200 million people making wagers on the outcome of the game worldwide.

Between $60-70 billion is illegally wagered on college football each year according to CNBC.

Thirty-three million Americans participate in fantasy football, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. The FSTA found that $1.18 billion changes hands between players through pools each year.

Between $30-40 billion is illegally wagered on Major League Baseball each year, according to CNBC. Baseball is not as big of a betting sport because of the lack of point spreads.

The FBI estimates that more than $2.5 billion is illegally wagered annually on the three-week March Madness postseason tournament each year, according to the AGA.

As much as 25 percent of illegal wagers placed on college basketball games each year comes during March Madness, according to CNBC.

Sports book operators estimate $80 million to $90 million — less than 4 percent of the illegal take — is wagered on the NCAA tournament legally through Nevada’s 216sports books, says the AGA.

One in 10 Americans play March Madness brackets according the data-processing website, wagersolutions.com."

I bet you're fun at parties.