'The easiest market to manipulate': Why yellow car...
Key takeaways
- Yellow cards have been at the center of gambling schemes investigated in recent years by top leagues in Australia, Europe and the U.S.
- "It's the easiest market to manipulate of them all," a veteran international betting consultant told ESPN.
- Despite fears of manipulation, at least three states -- Mississippi, New Jersey and Oregon -- plan to allow sportsbooks to offer betting on yellow cards during the World Cup.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Yellow cards have been at the heart of multiple gambling schemes across the world in recent years. ESPN Illustration David Purdum Jun 3, 2026, 06:55 AM ETClose Joined ESPN in 2014 Journalist covering gambling industry since 2008Follow on XMultiple Authors Email Print Open Extended Reactions As the World Cup arrives in the U.S., a controversial wager that has been frequently targeted by match-fixers and banned in many jurisdictions remains on the books in some states.
Yellow cards have been at the center of gambling schemes investigated in recent years by top leagues in Australia, Europe and the U.S. Some of the investigations resulted in criminal charges and lifetime bans, while a high-profile case in the English Premier League disrupted a potential multimillion-dollar transfer for a player later cleared of deliberately drawing yellow cards to benefit bettors.
"It's the easiest market to manipulate of them all," a veteran international betting consultant told ESPN.