Kris Johnson Deputy Editor -- CasinoBeats.com
Kris Johnson is a Charlotte-based deputy editor. He joined CasinoBeats in July 2025 and oversees the daily news flow of editing and publishing. Kris also reports on all aspects of the gambling industry with a...
Read Full BioThe NBA’s recent gambling scandal rocked the sports world, with Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups (and many others) awaiting their day in court. This year has seen a dramatic rise in suspicious betting activities and subsequent investigations across the sports landscape.
Here, we examine the biggest sports betting scandals since the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed in 2018. That ushered in the new era of legal US sports betting, now available in 38 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Now, let’s take a retrospective look at the scandals that have dominated headlines over the past few years.
2025
NBA: Terry Rozier & Chauncey Billups Arrested After Historic Investigation
The FBI’s investigation culminated with 34 indictments, including those of NBA stars Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups, with the latter now coaching the Portland Trail Blazers. Rozier, currently a member of the Miami Heat, is accused of deliberately underperforming in a game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans on March 23, 2023. The alleged spot-fixing incident followed a flurry of suspicious bets on Rozier to go UNDER 5.5 rebounds in that game. He left after just 10 minutes due to a purported foot injury.
Billups is alleged to have taken part in rigged poker games as a “face card,” using his celebrity status to attract “fish” who were victims in the Mafia-led scheme. Members of the Gambino, Bonanno, and Genovese crime families were also named in the indictment. High-tech equipment was used to read cards and relay information to certain players to ensure the victims lost. The alleged illegal poker ring fleeced victims for over $7M.
Rozier and Billups are both presumed innocent until proven guilty. The NBA placed both on immediate leave while the investigations are ongoing. We’ll make sure to update this page as developments warrant.
The Upshot: This was a made-for-livestream moment as the FBI decided to stage its announcement on opening day of the NBA’s new season. We’ll reserve judgment for now and let the process play out, but it’s still mind-boggling that Rozier and Billups would risk so much for so little reward.
MLB: Cleveland Pitchers Emmanuel Clase & Luis Ortiz Suspended Indefinitely
The curious case of Cleveland’s closers remains ongoing with no apparent resolution in sight. It’s never been clear whether the investigation around Clase is related to the suspicious bets on Ortiz’s pitches.
Industry watchdog IC360 detected unusual betting activity on two pitches Ortiz threw against the Mariners (June 15) and Cardinals (June 27). Both pitches missed the strike zone by a wide margin, suggesting the possibility of spot-fixing. In the latest development, both players have been barred from playing winter baseball in their native Dominican Republic.
The Upshot: This case triggered some other notable developments. The Ohio Casino Control Commission opened its own separate investigation. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also proposed a ban on all player props in the state. That’s either the smartest or dumbest move to make, depending on your worldview. College prop bets are already illegal in the Buckeye State. Sportsbooks and sports bettors might be loath to see pro props go away, but that would certainly eliminate the majority of scandals that occurred this year.
NCAA: Three Former Fresno State Basketball Players Banned, Expelled
The NCAA permanently banned former Fresno State basketball players Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez, and Jalen Weaver from competing, and the players were also expelled from school.
The NCAA announced that Robinson and Vasquez conspired with a sportsbook trader to place illicit bets. Text messages between Robinson and Vasquez revealed that Robinson intended to underperform in a game against Colorado State on January 7, 2025.
Robinson, Vasquez, and the unnamed sportsbook trader bet a combined $2,200 on Robinson’s prop markets, which paid out $15,950. The money was then distributed among the three bettors.
The Upshot: This case further illustrates that spot-fixing is the easiest way to manipulate a game. There’s a notion out there that some players like to give for “goodness” sake, and taking care of friends and family falls in line. Michael Porter, Jr., whose brother Jontay received a lifetime ban from the NBA, aptly described this phenomenon.
“Think about it, if you could get all your homies rich by telling them, ‘Yo, bet $10,000 on my under this one game. I’m going to act like I’ve got an injury, and I’m going sit out. I’m going to come out after three minutes… And they all get a little bag because you did it one game.”
MLB: Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Steals $17M to Cover Gambling Losses
Ippei Mizuhara stole over $17 million from Shohei Ohtani to help cover his gambling losses, for which he received a 57-month prison sentence.
Mizuhara incurred a net loss of nearly $41 million at Mathew Bowyer’s illegal bookmaking business. He still owes Bowyer $23 million after placing thousands of wagers with Bowyer’s operation. Bowyer was sentenced to a year in prison in September.
The Upshot: The numbers in this case are astounding. When he wasn’t interpreting Ohtani’s words for members of the media, Mizuhara was most likely placing a bet. Court documents revealed that his winnings from Bowyer’s illegal book were $142 million. Unfortunately, his losses were $183 million. That’s roughly 27,974,340,750 Japanese yen if you’re counting.
2024
NBA: Jontay Porter’s Lifetime Ban for Spot-Fixing
An NBA investigation determined that Toronto forward Jontay Porter violated league rules by “disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”
Porter, who was also found to have bet against his own team, was involved in multiple cases of spot-fixing, including removing himself from games. He now awaits what could be a lengthy prison sentence. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The Upshot: This was the NBA’s biggest scandal until it wasn’t. Recency bias sometimes dictates that the most recent scandal is viewed as the biggest scandal. But in the case of Rozier and Billups et al, expect the reverberations to keep rolling well into the future. ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst fueled the early fire by claiming the NBA knew about Rozier’s illegal gambling scheme. League officials vehemently denied that claim.
MLB: Tucupita Marcano Banned for Life After Betting on Baseball
An MLB investigation found that Pittsburgh infielder Tucupita Marcano placed 387 baseball bets exceeding more than $150,000 at a legal sportsbook. Marcano, who also bet on games involving the Pirates, was the first player banned for life because of gambling in a century.
The Upshot: RIP, Pete Rose. Marcano took a page out of Charlie Hustle’s playbook and made a bevy of bets on baseball. The utility player’s days in MLB are done as a result. Rose, who also received a lifetime ban, passed away last September in Las Vegas at the age of 83. It’s a shame he didn’t live to see induction into the Hall of Fame. However, that could happen posthumously after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred removed him from the permanently ineligible list.
NFL: Former Jaguars Employee Steals $22M to Fuel Gambling Addiction
Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million through a virtual credit card system the team used for expenses. He deposited almost $20 million of the funds to gamble at FanDuel, and around $1 million at DraftKings.
FanDuel recently agreed to pay back $5 million to the Jaguars after the former finance manager gambled away nearly $20M on the platform.
The Upshot: Nice gesture by FanDuel to refund the Jags a portion of the losses. Perhaps QB Trevor Lawrence will consider giving back some of his five-year, $275 million contract extension signed before the 2024 season. The Jags have gone 8-16 since that deal was done.
NCAA Baseball: Alabama Fires Baseball Coach Tied to Suspicious Bets
Alabama fired baseball coach Brad Bohannon, who the NCAA infractions committee later determined “violated wagering and ethical conduct rules” by providing inside information on a pitching change to professional gambler Bert Neff. Neff was later sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice.
Red flags were raised after unusual betting patterns were discovered on a game between Alabama and LSU. The top-seeded Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide, 8-6, after Alabama’s starting pitcher was scratched with back soreness shortly before the game started.
The Upshot: This one was interesting because Neff wagered at the Great American Ballpark’s BetMGM sportsbook in Cincinnati. The Ohio Casino Control Commission was then the first to take Alabama games off the board.
2022
NFL: Calvin Ridley Gets One-Year Suspension for Betting on Football
Ridley, then a member of the Falcons, was suspended for the 2022 season after he wagered on NFL games the previous year. At the time the bets were placed, he was on the non-injury football list, dealing with mental health issues.
Ridley bet on games involving the Falcons, but no evidence was found that he wagered against them. He was reinstated for the 2023 season and began his tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Upshot: The NFL took a hardline stance on Ridley, who was forced to sit out an entire season without pay. The NFL remains among the most vigilant leagues regarding players and employees betting on football. NFL officials noted that no players were sanctioned for violating the league’s gambling policy last season (compared to 10 in 2023). The NFL believes prediction markets are no different than sports betting, and all league personnel are prohibited from trading on sports event contracts under the league’s current gambling policy.
