ABSTRACT
Match-fixing has presented itself as a contested and widespread threat to the integrity of sport. Although sport corruption research, whereof match-fixing is one of the most compelling examples, has increased during the past decades, the research field is still under-theorized. Due to the multifaceted and complex nature of match-fixing, several scholars have argued that a multilevel approach is needed to get a better understanding of match-fixing. Guided by normalization of corruption theory, this chapter provides a more holistic and nuanced approach to better understand match-fixing and its underlying mechanisms. By demonstrating how (a) institutionalization, (b) rationalization, and (c) socialization mechanisms can help explain the frequently embedded, perpetuated, and taken-for-granted nature of match-fixing, this chapter offers theoretical guidance on how to conduct future research on this complex phenomenon.
