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Doping in Sport and Competition Design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2016

Nicolas Eber
Affiliation:
IEP, Université Robert Schuman†
Jacques Thépot
Affiliation:
LARGE, Université Louis Pasteur‡
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Summary

We develop a game-theoretic model of doping which focuses on the economic aspects of competitive sports. According to the model, incentives for athletes to use doping increase when (i) the efficiency of the drug test system is low, (ii) the number of competitions during one season is high, (iii) the spread of prizes from sports events is large, (iv) the perceived health cost is low. Implications for anti-doping policy are derived. We also discuss the optimal (anti-doping) competition design.

Résumé

Résumé

Dans cet article, le problème du dopage dans le sport est abordé sous forme d’un jeu non coopératif. Le modèle proposé indique que les incitations au dopage augmentent lorsque (i) l’efficacité du système de test est faible (ii) le nombre de compétitions sportives par saison est élevé (iii) l’écart entre le gain du premier et du deuxième est important (iv) le coût perçu sur la santé est faible. Des recommnandations portant sur la conception des compétitions sportives sont formulées.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de recherches économiques et sociales 1999 

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Footnotes

47, avenue de la Forêt-Noire, 67082 Strasbourg Cedex, France, e-mail : [email protected].

61, avenue de la Forêt Noire, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France, e-mail : [email protected].

*

We would like to thank two anonymous referees for helpful comments.

References

Bird, E.J., Wagner, G.G. (1997), Sports as a common property resource: A solution to the dilemmas of doping. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 41, 749766.Google Scholar
Thépot, J. (1998), Parrainage sportif et dopage, Le Monde, 15 août 1998.Google Scholar
Breivik, G., (1987), The doping dilemma – Some game theoretical and philosophical considerations, Sportwissenschaft, 17, 8394.Google Scholar