Monday’s federal indictment of former NBA player Malik Beasley is drawing new gambling concerns for a pro sports league that made history by embracing sports betting before its counterparts.
In 2014, NBA commissioner Adam Silver voiced support for the legalization of sports betting in an op-ed for the New York Times, four years before the overturning of PASPA. The decision allowed the NBA to become the first U.S. pro league to sign a gambling partnership deal.
Since then, the proliferation of online sports betting has reached through America, with the NBA benefiting from its popularity but also dealing with its consequences.
The growth of sports betting has allowed gambling scandals to come to light, with Beasley being the latest brush the NBA has had with a criminal probe into alleged illicit betting.
Details of Beasley’s alleged illicit NBA betting activity
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Beasley informed co-conspirators of his plan to underperform during several NBA games in exchange for kickback payments.
The four games that involved alleged gameplay manipulation by Beasley took place during the 2023-24 NBA season. The 29-year-old allegedly used the kickback payments to pay off gambling debts owed to Davis.
Beasley has allegedly “accumulated multi-million dollar gambling losses.” According to data provided by Spotrac, his career earnings over 10 seasons are nearly $60 million.
According to the complaint, Beasley’s co-conspirators placed more than $75,000 worth of bets on his player props, with the group winning at least $121,000 from the wagers.
Who else participated in NBA gambling scandal?
Beasley’s co-conspirators include former NBA player Edward Davis and NBA agent Paolo Zamorano. The federal charges levied against the group include:
- Wire fraud conspiracy
- Bribery in sporting contests
- Honest services wire fraud conspiracy
- Money laundering conspiracy
“As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line the pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle Jr. “The FBI continues to dismantle fraudulent schemes that erode the integrity of any institution, including our nation’s professional sports leagues.”
If convicted, each defendant in the gambling scheme faces up to 20 years in prison.
NBA set tone with lifetime ban against Porter
Beasley faces a lifetime NBA ban, with former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter setting a precedent for how the league responds to manipulation of play and sharing of insider information for gambling-related purposes. In April 2024, Porter was handed a lifetime ban from Silver and the NBA for betting on league games and providing insider information to a group of co-conspirators who placed wagers on Porter’s prop markets.
Porter made the NBA the first U.S. league to ban a player for sports betting post-PASPA.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams, and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” Silver said when announcing Porter’s lifetime ban.
Terry Rozier adds to NBA’s integrity issue
Terry Rozier is also facing severe punishment for his alleged role in a gameplay manipulation and insider information scheme, adding to the NBA’s gambling woes.
The former Miami Heat guard was first charged in October 2025 with conspiracy wire fraud and money laundering, with additional charges including sports bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy, added last month in a superseding indictment.
Per the complaint, Rozier allegedly pocketed $100,000 after conspiring with a group of co-defendants to exit an NBA game early for gambling-related purposes. The kickback payment was unveiled after a co-conspirator told officials that he made a payment to an NBA player after planning the player’s early exit from a game during the 2022-23 season.
The District Court for the Eastern District of New York identified the player as Rozier. He previously pleaded not guilty in December 2025 to the initial charges and later filed a motion to dismiss the case. The motion was filed before new charges were added in May.
“The new indictment confirms that our motion to dismiss was a good one — it’s just new charges and new theories trotted out in the hope that something sticks,” Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty told The Athletic.
Sen. Murphy responds to Beasley claims
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy chimed in on the NBA’s latest gambling scandal:
Murphy voiced his opinion about the investigation into Beasley as a supporter of legislation that combats the use of insider information for gambling-related or trading purposes. He is the co-sponsor of the Banning Event Trading on Sensitive Operations and Federal Functions (BETS OFF) Act, a measure that aims to prevent prediction markets from offering contracts tied to government actions.
NBA also deals with alleged rigged poker scheme
The investigation into Rozier was announced at the same time as the federal indictment of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones.
In October 2025, Billups and Jones were among 30 people arrested after a years-long federal investigation into alleged rigged poker times backed by the Italian mafia.
The criminal complaint claims Billups was involved in rigged poker games that used advanced technology to read and shuffle cards. As a result, the operators of the rigged poker games allegedly stole millions, with Billups being used as a tool to attract players. The alleged scheme began in 2019 and continued for several years.
Jones is also involved in the alleged sports betting scheme tied to Rozier. A penalty levied against Billups by the NBA would be the first for a coach for gambling in the post-PASPA era.
U.S. Attorney adds to active gambling investigations
Beasley’s arrest was made by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr., who has spearheaded probes into several gambling-related incidents.
“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” said Nocella. “Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.”
Nocella is also tied to the case involving Billups, Jones, and Rozier.
His workload also includes the federal investigation into the alleged pitch-rigging scheme involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Clase and Ortiz allegedly received kickback payments for tipping pitches for bettors to place wagers.
In March, the two players were placed on unpaid non-disciplinary leave ahead of a trial.
