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An Economic Roadmap to the Dark Side of Sport pp 55–90Cite as

Doping: Which Economic Crime in Sport?

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Part of the book series: Palgrave Pivots in Sports Economics ((PAPISE))

Abstract

The definition of doping is a tricky issue on which depends whether it is a prohibited—therefore criminal—activity (as with the WADA negative list) or not. This chapter takes a snapshot view of empirical evidence about detected doping (the tip of an iceberg) in different sports and different countries, relying on WADA tested samples and further revealed occurrences of doping. A guesstimate of the global market for performance-enhancing drugs is presented. It is exhibited how unobservable doping distorts observed sporting outcomes in particular with a natural experiment pertaining to Sochi Winter Games. The impact of doping on fans, TV viewers, and sponsors is sketched. Standard economics of crime is at bay once again. Game theory treats doping as a dominant strategy, and provides a more interesting and relevant framework for analysing doping in sport as a prisoner’s dilemma.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    And again in December 2018 since RUSADA did not deliver the 9000 suspect samples requested by WADA.

  2. 2.

    Doped athletes have a lower (than average) life expectancy sanctioned by premature deaths. Regarding doped riders Franck Vandenbroucke early died at the age of 35, Hugo Koblet and Marco Pantani (39), Gastone Nencini and Roger Rivière (40), Luis Ocana (49), Juan Manuel Fuente and Philippe Gaumont (50), Jacques Anquetil (53); rugby players as well: André Venter (36), Ruben Kruger (40), Joost van der Westhuisen (46).

  3. 3.

    A sixth Jamaican top-level sprinter was tested positive as well: Sherone Simpson.

  4. 4.

    In 2010, the market price of a clomiphene pill was €0.70, one gram of cannabis €8–11, one gram of amphetamine €10–26, one gram of heroine €38–60, one gram of cocaine €59–78, one CERA (continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator) dose €200–400, one ‘Belgian pot’ (heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, caffeine) dose €300–400, and one year-long EPO treatment €20,000.

  5. 5.

    One can find more about the data and methodological limitations that hinder using a doping variable in a model explaining the distribution of Olympic medals across nations in Andreff et al. (2008).

  6. 6.

    A rather comprehensive survey of the sport doping literature is available in Dilger et al. (2007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Economie de la Sorbonne, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, France

    Wladimir Andreff

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  1. Wladimir Andreff
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Andreff, W. (2019). Doping: Which Economic Crime in Sport?. In: An Economic Roadmap to the Dark Side of Sport. Palgrave Pivots in Sports Economics. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28615-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28615-6_3

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