Match-fixing is a threat to sporting integrity. The proliferation of match-fixing scandals involving sports betting, corruption and organized crime has also placed this phenomenon on the international political agenda. This scenario has increased the interest of social scientists, although the literature lacks primary data, theorization, and theoretical articulation. This work contributes to the advancement of sociological knowledge on the subject by building a grounded theory that allows understanding why professional football players engage in betting related match-fixing that require a "quid pro quo". The theoretical-empirical articulation connects three dimensions: structure, actors, and processes of match-fixing practices in Portuguese professional football; factors that contribute to precariousness in this environment; governance gaps and opportunity structures exploited by criminal groups that engage in these practices. The triangulation between document analysis and semi-structured interviews argues that match-fixing is an adverse effect of congenital causes, weak sports governance, and weak political governance. The combination of natural causes and failures in the sporting and political systems created opportunities for criminal groups to infiltrate sport. The (pre)existence of such failures exposed professional football players to strains, which, in a context of new “illegitimate opportunities”, increased their vulnerability to engage in betting related match-fixing practices when instigated and socially pressured for that purpose. Among the various political and sporting implications, the results highlight the need to create a global anti-corruption agency that oversees international sports organizations.

--