Over 30 arrested in a federal probe on illegal gambling, involving NBA players and coaches.
In 2024, Americans legally wagered nearly $150 billion on sports, up from $120 billion in 2023. As more and more states legalize sports betting, the dollar value of total bets will continue to climb.
As sports betting has exploded in America, so have the number of betting scandals. According to the Associated Press, there have been 13 major scandals involving players, coaches, employees, and family members of professional sports teams, and several more prosecutions involving colleges.
The latest stain on professional sports involves an NBA player and a Hall of Fame coach, both involved in seedy deals with professional gamblers.
„Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested Thursday as part of a federal investigation into illegal betting activities, federal law enforcement officials said during a news conference in New York“, reports The Athletic.
That federal investigation has snared more than 30 people who were involved in sports betting, as well as an illegal poker operation that used high-tech equipment to fleece players out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Rozier was accused of telling members of an illegal betting ring that he was going to leave a game early, thus keeping his stats down.
