Gambling Scandal in the NBA? Let's talk about it

 Hello and welcome to Crystal Sideline Buzz. My name is Crystal Williams, and I am a blogger, content creator on social media, and a YouTuber. My goal is to work in sports broadcasting. Today, I will be discussing one of the biggest news stories circulating in the Basketball World. A former NBA coach and player was arrested and charged with illegal sports betting and having a connection with an illegal poker operation allegedly backed by the mafia. 

Sports betting

According to sources, Sports betting is one of the easiest ways to make money by predicting scores and placing a wager on the outcome. It has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban, leading to widespread legalization across many states. There are many types of bets in the sports world: Point spread, moneyline, Totals (under/over), Prop bets (proposition Bets), Futures, Live (In-Play) betting, and Parlays. With sports betting, of course, there has been growth in concerns and controversies. For example, many have developed an addiction to online sportsbooks, constantly betting, and it's been on the rise, especially among young men. Many Athletes have been harassed by fans due to angry betters who lost money based on the players' performance. Many athletes have reported receiving threats and even abuse. 

Athletes involved in sports betting 

Over recent years, there have been rising concerns about athletes and league personnel engaging in illegal betting, leading to what others would call "match-fixing." In 1919, the Black Sox Scandal occurred when eight players from the Chicago white sox baseball team were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series in exchange for money from gamblers. The players were banned from baseball for life, even though their cases were acquitted in court. Even sports officials were a part of sports betting. In 2008, former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to wire fraud and gambling after taking money from a gambler for insider tips on games, including the ones he officiated. In 1989, former MLB player Pete Rose was banned from the league after an investigation by the organization concluded he bet on baseball games while both playing and managing the Cincinnati Reds. In 2024, after he passed away, he was considered ineligible for the Hall of Fame. Lastly, in 2024, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA after an investigation found Porter bet on NBA games and provided information to betters. Sources say there were times when Porter manipulated his performances by feigning injury to prop bets on his unders would hit. 

Colleges involved in sports betting

Yes, colleges have been participating in sports betting as well. Recently, in September of this year, several college basketball players faced gambling violations. The NCAA organization revealed a game manipulation involving three former basketball players from Fresno State and SanJose State. Two of them intentionally underperformed to ensure winning prop bets, resulting in a payout of over $15,000. Recently, in October of this year, the NCAA organization again revealed that three former Eastern Michigan men's basketball players had failed to cooperate with them in an investigation of potential sports betting conduct. Former Arizona State point guard Stevin Smith was paid to ensure his team did not win by more than six points in a game. Besides players being involved in sports betting, just like professional athletes, many fans have also harassed these players. 

Recent incident 

Former Miami Heat player and assistant coach Damon Jones was arrested in October in connection with federal gambling involving the mafia. Along with Jones, former Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also arrested, as well as Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier; however, he was indicted on two separate charges, as well as it were also related to the gambling scandal. Sources say that Jones allegedly participated in a nationwide conspiracy with mafia members to run rigged and illegal poker games. Law enforcement stated Jones and other NBA figures acted as "face cards" to lure victims into the games. They used high technology to cheat and defraud players of millions of dollars. There was another incident where Jones was accused of using non-public insider information about the availability of players, including LeBron James, for specific games to allegedly give co-conspirators an increase in their bets. 

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the schemes were tied to an organized crime, including the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families, which helped finance and enforce illegal operations. There has been a total of 34 people arrested as a result of a year-long investigation covering 11 states involving tens of millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. says it is one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting because legalized in the United States. 

The NBA Commissioner's Response 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver received a letter from members of Congress in regards of him response to the incident. The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, following a briefing with Silver on October 31st. 

The NBA legal departmnet said: "Given the spread of legal betting to the mjaoirty of the U.S. states, the recurrence of integrity issues across sports, and the emergence of novel betting formats and markets, this is an opportune time to carefully reasons how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players and their fans," they said.