Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioAs fallout from the betting scandals that have rocked professional and collegiate sports in recent months continues, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has requested detailed information from every major U.S. players’ association about the steps they’re taking to address the risks posed by the sharing of insider information for gambling purposes.
The Committee said that recent allegations, including the use of confidential performance and injury information to place wagers, raise serious concerns about the vulnerability of athletes and the integrity of competition.
In letters sent on December 9 to the National Football League Players Association, Major League Baseball Players Association, National Basketball Players Association, National Hockey League Players Association, and Major League Soccer Players Association, Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) wrote that recent conduct involving insider information “eviscerate[s] the integrity of sports and hurt[s] honest, law-abiding athletes.”
The Chairman asked the associations to outline their education programs, internal conduct enforcement, and how they’re working with their respective leagues to reduce the risk of non-public information being exploited for betting.
In outlining why they were seeking information from the associations, lawmakers cited a series of recent federal cases involving alleged misuse of confidential player information. The letters pointed to the October arrests of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and and former Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones, quoting FBI Director Kash Patel, “Let’s not mince words. This is the insider trading saga for the NBA.”
Other Committees Have Already Questioned NBA & MLB
This isn’t the first time a Congressional Committee has pressed for answers about recent betting scandals. In October, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce requested a briefing from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on allegations involving Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Rozier, and Jones in connection with alleged game rigging and illegal betting.
Weeks later, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, following the indictments of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz for manipulating pitches, citing a “new integrity crisis” in American sports and asking how the scheme had gone undetected.
The letters sent to the leagues focused on oversight, while Walberg’s inquiry is the first time lawmakers have formally asked players’ associations to explain how they can help prevent the abuse of insider information, which is at the center of these federal investigations.
Lawmakers Highlight Insider Information Risks
In the letter, the Committee expressed its concern about “the alarming rise in proprietary information sharing to benefit certain gamblers,” saying the conduct undermines fair competition and harms athletes by eroding the integrity of the games.
Recent polling released in the wake of the NBA betting scandal suggests bettor confidence in the integrity of professional sports has also taken a hit. Citing the federal cases referenced above, Walberg wrote that his Committee, “seeks to understand how you can better ensure proper conduct among players to safeguard free and fair competition.”
The Committee has given the associations until January 31, 2026, to submit their responses.
