More NBA Games Under Investigation in Betting Scandal: What Were Indicted Tipsters Backing?

Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York have indicated that more NBA games may have been tainted as part of the betting scandal that has led to the arrests of Jontay Porter, Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones.

Last week, the first defendant in the case was sentenced. Timothy McCormack received a two-year prison sentence for placing wagers on matches involving Porter and Rozier. Prosecutors say there may be more players and games involved in the scandal.

David Berman, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in court last week, “The government has ongoing investigations.”

He indicated McCormack and others may have used insider information to place bets on other games, adding, “Our understanding is the defendant has conducted himself in similar manners in other instances as well.”

Tipsters Posted Picks Online

Two of the men indicted in the scandal, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, have openly posted tips on NBA games, with some coming from insider information acquired from NBA players and coaches.

In the NCAA scandal, the two men also allegedly recruited players to underperform, then placed bets on the affected games. Despite being indicted in two betting investigations, both Hennen and Fairley continue to run their paid tipping subscription services.

We took a look back at their picks during the time federal investigators say NBA games may have been tainted. The two men advertise picks on their Instagram channels, while reserving other “locks” for subscribers.

Fairley’s Vezino Locks charges users $60 a day, while Hennen’s Sugar Shane Wins costs $99 a day.

On Hennen’s channel, the following NBA matches were revealed as picks during the January 2023 to March 2024 period that is being investigated:

Date	Match	Pick	Result	Pick Outcome
March 10, 2024	Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings	Houston +6.5	Houston 112–104 Sacramento	✅ Won
January 21, 2024	Detroit Pistons at New Orleans Pelicans	Detroit +12.5	Detroit 112–104 New Orleans	✅ Won
January 19, 2024	Charlotte Hornets at Golden State Warriors	Over 235.5 Total Points	Golden State 136–116 Charlotte	✅ Won
January 18, 2024	Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz	Oklahoma -3	Oklahoma 134–129 Utah	✅ Won
January 15, 2024	San Antonio Spurs at Atlanta Hawks	Atlanta -8	Atlanta 109–99 San Antonio	✅ Won
January 15, 2024	Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers	Oklahoma -3	Los Angeles 112–105 Oklahoma	❌ Lost
January 5, 2024	Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets	Houston +4	Minnesota 122–95 Houston	❌ Lost
November 9, 2023	Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers	Indiana to win	Indiana 126–124 Milwaukee	✅ Won

There are no publicly listed NBA picks from Fairley through his Vezino Locks channel. The Mississippi resident has continued posting content even after his second indictment.

A few weeks ago, he added a video with the title, “Most brands only post wins. We post accountability. This is what happens when standards aren’t met. Vezino Locks isn’t a hobby — it’s a results business.”

Before posting that video, he promoted his channel by informing followers that “I done added an Asian to the staff.” He urged subscribers to “tap in” because “you know how smart they are.”

Matches Already Flagged

Prosecutors have already flagged seven games in which Hennen, Fairley, and others placed bets based on insider information obtained from NBA players or coaches.

In the indictment against the men, the following matches were listed:

Date	Match	Insider Information	Bet Placed / Outcome
February 9, 2023	Milwaukee Bucks at Los Angeles Lakers	Damon Jones (Lakers assistant) disclosed Lakers player (rumored to be LeBron James) would be out	Bet on Milwaukee to win; Milwaukee won 115–106
March 23, 2023	Charlotte Hornets at New Orleans Pelicans	Terry Rozier informed bettors he would exit game early	Bets on Rozier “under” stats totaling $200,000+ won
March 24, 2023	Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers	Chauncey Billups (Portland coach) disclosed several players would sit out	Over $100,000 wagered against Portland; bets yielded major winnings
April 6, 2023	Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic	Unknown Magic player tip: lineup change expected	$11,000 bet on Cavaliers to cover spread; Cavaliers won by 24 points
January 15, 2024	Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers	Damon Jones disclosed limited minutes for Lakers player (rumored to be Anthony Davis)	$100,000 bet on Oklahoma to win; Oklahoma lost 112–105
January 26, 2024	Los Angeles Clippers at Toronto Raptors	Jontay Porter would exit early	Bets on Porter “unders”; bets won after Porter exited early
March 20, 2024	Sacramento Kings at Toronto Raptors	Porter would exit early	Bets on Porter “unders”; Porter scored 0 points, bets won

In the NCAA betting scandal, substantially more matches have been identified. In total, prosecutors listed 27 matches between February 2024 and January 2025 where bettors encouraged players to deliberately underperform to win bets. As with the NBA picks on Hennen’s channel, the bettors did not always win the wagers.

As the investigation continues, more players may be revealed as feeding insider information to gamblers. Malik Beasley’s NBA career has effectively ended after his name was brought into the investigation. The former Detroit Pistons player is now playing basketball in Serbia.

Others who could be dragged into the scandal include the unnamed Orlando Magic player who allegedly shared information about the team’s lineup with Fairley and others ahead of the 2023 game against Cleveland.

The majority of defendants, including Hennen, Fairley, Rozier, Billups, and Jones, have pleaded not guilty to the charges and been released on bail.