Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioThe FBI has been interviewing college athletes, and indictments are set to come soon as evidence of plots to fix NCAA basketball games surfaced.
Sportsbooks flagged suspicious betting activity against five teams in at least 10 games between December and January last season.
The teams implicated include Eastern Michigan, New Orleans, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina A&T, and Stony Brook. Bets were primarily focused on half-time point spreads, and all flagged bets covered the spreads.
Gamblers placed wagers at casinos in Mississippi and retail sportsbooks. Casinos identified so far include Harrah’s Gulf Coast Casino, Fitz Casino & Hotel, Tunica, Gold Strike Casino Resort, and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi. Additionally, sportsbooks including FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars reported suspicious betting activity.
Last month, the NCAA said it was pursuing penalties against 13 college basketball players for sports betting rule violations. This follows action against three players: Mykell Robinson, Jalen Weaver, and Steven Vasquez. The case in Mississippi appears unrelated to the scandal that Robinson led with his Fresno teammates.
The games involved are detailed below:
Suspicious NCAA Basketball Betting Timeline (Dec 2024 – Jan 2025)
| Date | Team Bet Against | Opponent | Betting Pattern / Details | Outcome (HT / FT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2024 | Stony Brook | Norfolk State | Dormant accounts reactivated; 9 × $300 bets and new accounts opened for large “excessive” wagers. | HT: Norfolk St. 34 – 27 (covered). FT: Norfolk St. 73 – 67. |
| Dec 21, 2024 | Mississippi Valley State | Tulsa | Bettors at Harrah’s Gulf Coast wagered $2,500 and $1,700; $20,000 bet denied. | HT: Tulsa 46 – 17. FT: Tulsa 88 – 55 (covered 26-point spread). |
| Dec 21, 2024 | Eastern Michigan | Wright State | $4,000, $3,500, $2,200 bets on Wright State first-half spread; connected to prior flagged accounts. | HT: Wright St. 43 – 29 (covered). FT: Wright St. 87 – 65. |
| Dec 28, 2024 | New Orleans | McNeese State | Bet amounts increased sequentially ($250 → $1,000 → $1,500) on McNeese covering vs UNO. | HT: McNeese 44 – 25. FT: McNeese 87 – 64 (covered). |
| Dec 30, 2024 | New Orleans | Vanderbilt | Multiple coordinated first-half spread wagers against UNO. | HT: Vanderbilt 42 – 24. FT: Vanderbilt 85 – 56 (covered). |
| Jan 2, 2025 | North Carolina A&T | Elon | $1,200 and $5,000 two-leg parlay (Elon –3.5 first half + Tenn. State –2.5); cashed out midgame. | HT: Elon 41 – 32 (covered). FT: Elon 79 – 69. |
| Jan 6, 2025 | New Orleans | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Repeat of betting pattern; new large retail sportsbook bets. | HT: TAMU–CC 47 – 28. FT: TAMU–CC 91 – 72 (covered). |
| Jan 7, 2025 | Eastern Michigan | Toledo | Bettor tried $10k; split wagers between two Mississippi casinos ($5k + $9k). | HT: Toledo 46 – 33 (covered). FT: Toledo 88 – 74. |
| Jan 11, 2025 | New Orleans | Southeastern Louisiana | Continued pattern of first-half wagers; multiple bettors coordinated. | HT: SE Louisiana 45 – 34 (covered). FT: SE Louisiana 92 – 74. |
| Jan 14, 2025 | Eastern Michigan | Central Michigan | IC360 alert triggered; multiple suspicious bets against EMU. | HT: Central Mich. 39 – 33 (covered). FT: Central Mich. 78 – 72. |
IC360 said its ability to notice the suspicious betting activity is a positive sign going into the new college basketball season. A company spokesperson told ESPN, “Although the underlying suspicious activity is, of course, concerning, we are proud to be a part of a group of invested stakeholders diligently collaborating to combat bad actors in sport.”
“We’re optimistic these efforts will yield positive results as we approach college basketball season.”
Tipster Identified as ‘Main Syndicate Suspect’
A Caesars Sportsbook representative named Marves Fairley as “the main syndicate suspect,” noting that the online tipster has been banned from betting companywide. Fairley allegedly placed suspicious bets at Harrah’s Gulf Coast that led to his ban.
Fairley is the individual behind the betting tips service, Vezino Locks, that gives out gambling picks on social media. He denies any wrongdoing and has not yet been charged with any crimes.
When accusations of involvement in a betting syndicate first emerged, he took to Instagram to deny any involvement. In a video posted earlier this year, he responded to the allegations, stating, “I think it’s just the media. It’s just somebody that’s writing articles and details about me that don’t know me personally. I think it comes with success. I think the more you level up in life, the more angles they come to bring you down.”
Vezino Locks has 33,000 followers on Instagram and continues to sell picks for $75, providing all-day access.
NCAA Calls for Market Restrictions to Prevent Betting Scandals
Tim Buckley, NCAA senior vice president for external affairs, said the NCAA hopes more states will outlaw prop bets and shut down black-market sites.
“Protecting the integrity of the game and preventing student-athletes from making bad decisions is a massive undertaking and requires athlete education, collaboration between sportsbooks, regulators and sports leagues,” he said.
At the same time, the college sports organization is relaxing rules around gambling for athletes. A Division I committee voted to allow athletes to bet on pro sports, but said the decision is “not an endorsement of sports betting, particularly for student-athletes.” Instead, it argues the move “allows the NCAA, the conferences, and member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games.”
The new college basketball season tips off on November 3.
