On May 14, 2018, just after 10am ET, the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the 1992 Expert and Amateur Sports Protection Act.
This was a groundbreaking decision of two of America’s favorite entertainment: sports and gambling.
The state wasted almost time in launching and taxing legal sports betting markets, and professional leagues quickly formed a partnership with bookmaking companies betting on the game. Six years later, 39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are legal betting markets, with bettors already betting $330 billion on new state-sponsored sportsbooks. But so are the controversy that comes from gambling as bets increase.
Over the past two years, dozens of professional athletes and coaches have been suspended or fired for gambling violations, and at least one bettor has pleaded guilty to obstacles related to the college baseball gambling scandal. In early 2024, an investigation was launched involving suspicious bets, including bets on props involving Temple Men’s Basketball and Toronto Raptor’s Reserve Centre’s John Tapeter. The NBA banned Porter for the rest of his life after the investigation. He disclosed confidential information to bettors and restricted participation in at least one game while betting on the Raptors and the NBA games while playing in the G-League.
The gaming industry and sports leagues say the legal system is working and betting visibility is increasing. However, the incident involving players betting on the games they are involved in persists.
Meanwhile, the underground betting market that has existed in the US since the sport was in existence continues to flourish, with unlicensed bookmakers offering credit and attracting well-known customers who may want more anonymity. Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei ohtani, was fired in March for using such a bookie. Mizuhara later threw herself into authorities after prosecutors allegedly stole more than $16 million from Otani’s account.
The two biggest states, California and Texas, have yet to legalize sports betting, so there is plenty of room for growth in the US market and there is no shortage of betting interest from the public. Everyone is guessing how big the American betting market will be. Perhaps the safest bet is that there is more controversy. – David Purdham
2018
May 14, 2018: Supreme Court breaks federal ban on sports gambling
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that it would break the Expert and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The 1992 law excludes sports gambling with national authority (Nevada was primarily the only exception). After nearly six years of legal battle, the ruling opened the door to states interested in legalizing sports gambling.
2019
November 29, 2019: The NFL will suspend Josh Shaw indefinitely
Josh Shaw was the first active player to be stopped to bet on a league match, albeit an injured reserve. He is openly betting on the Las Vegas Sportsbook against his own team, the Arizona Cardinals at the time, as part of the Perlay.
2020
September 8, 2020: University of Colorado Sign Sign Contract with Denver-based Point Bet
A five-year contract between Colorado and Point Bet allowed sports betting operators to display autographs at Colorado’s soccer stadiums and basketball arenas and advertise to other media such as radio broadcasts.
2021
May 26, 2021: Washington’s Capital One Arena will become the first professional sports arena in the United States with a fully operational sportsbook
Monumental Sports, owner of Washington Wizard, Washington Mystics and Washington Capitals, has agreed to a 10-year lease with William Hill Sportsbook.
October 8, 2021: Felipe Hernandez of Sporting KC has been suspended due to bets on MLS games
An independent survey launched in July 2021 found that Hernandez was engaged in “broad and illegal sports gambling” while she was a member of Sports Kansas City, including gambling in MLS games. Hernandez informed the team about gambling on July 5th, saying he was worried about his personal safety due to the debt he accumulated.
2022
March 7, 2022: NFL suspends Calvin Ridley for one year
Ridley, then-Atlanta Falcons receiver, was suspended for at least the entire 2022 season after determining that he gambled in the game during a five-day stretch in November 2022. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the stretch probably includes a parlay bet that will win the Falcon. He was revived in March 2023.
December 23, 2022: New York Jets WR Coach Miles Austin has been suspended for a year
Jets wide receiver coach Miles Austin has been suspended for at least a year in violation of the NFL gambling policy. The league began investigating Austin after realising that it was gambling in sports rather than NFL games or college football, which violated the NFL personnel gambling policy.
2023
January 19, 2023: UFC strengthens gambling rules and hires honest companies in investigations of suspicious gambling activities before the fight
The UFC added a more stringent language about betting in its fighting code of conduct and hired the integrity of the US, a sports betting monitoring company. This change comes from a questionable betting pattern related to the UFC battle between Darrick Minner and Shiylan Nuerdanbieke.
March 29, 2023: The University of Colorado and the Point Bet End Partnership 3 years earlier
Colorado and Sportsbet announced in a joint statement that ending the partnership in nearly three years would be “mutually beneficial.” A day ago, the American Gaming Association had released revised guidelines advising similar partnerships between the sportsbook and the university.
April 21, 2023: Jameson Williams among five NFL players suspended for gambling
Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, Safety CJ Moore and Washington Commanders Defensive End Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely for betting on the NFL game.
May 4, 2023: Alabama fires head baseball coach Brad Bohannon after link to a suspicious bet
Ohio State gambling regulators first halted bets on college baseball games involving Alabama after suspicious betting activities were detected in a game with LSU. Federal prosecutors alleged that Indiana businessman and youth baseball coach Burt Neff had communicated with Bohannon before an Alabama-LSU baseball game and bets on the Crimson Tide. Alabama fired Bohannon six days after the bets stopped.
May 8, 2023: Iowa – Iowa Gambling Survey commences
The University of Iowa and Iowa State have announced more than 30 athletes spanning baseball, soccer, men’s basketball, men’s track and field and wrestling.
June 29, 2023: NFL pauses four players (betting on three teams and betting on their team) for gambling violations
Indianapolis Colts Isaiah Rogers Sr. and Rushed Berry and free agent Demetrius Taylor were suspended by the NFL at least throughout the 2023 season due to bets on the NFL games in 2022.
Read: Internal and increased violations of the NFL gambling policy
September 29, 2023: Jameson Williams is back after the NFL adjusts its gambling policy
The NFL will change its gambling policy to punish players who bet on their team more severely, and suspended for at least two years – players who bet on NFL games will be punished for a one year suspension. Players who bet on non-NFL sports during team facilities or team-related trips will receive two games suspensions for the first violation, with a second six games and a third for at least one year.
read: In a gambling violation, NFL players discuss betting policies
October 26, 2023: NHL player Shane Pinto stopped 41 games for gambling
It is unclear how Ottawa Sen. Shane Pinto violated the NHL sports betting policy, but Pinto had an online gambling account in the United States that was flagged by the NHL Integrity Protection Partner “due to extraordinary activities,” according to the Ottawa Sun.
October 27, 2023: Two Corn Ferry Tour golfers suspended for sports betting
PGA Tour feeder tour golfers Vince India and Jake Staiano were suspended for three and six months respectively to place bets on the PGA Tour competition. Neither of them bets in the tournaments they played.
2024
January 25, 2024: Patriots ‘Kayshon Boutte arrested for illegal bets at LSU
Louisiana State Police said the charges against wide receiver Kason Boot include a number of felony computer fraud and misdemeanors of gambling that are prohibited in people under the age of 21, but there are additional charges as the investigation is underway. Boutte is said to have used aliases to avoid the age requirement for placing sports bets in Louisiana while betting between the age of 20 from April 6, 2022 to May 7, 2023.
March 8, 2024: Temple Review Report on Abnormal Gambling Activities
The US integrity of Watchdog Company flagged at least one Temple Men’s basketball game for its unusual betting activities, and among other sportsbooks, prompted Caesars Sportsbook and Fundayel to stop betting on the game.
March 12, 2024: Former Jaguar employee Amit Patel has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for fraud.
Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million from the team. Patel stole the money for three and a half years as he used the remaining money stolen from various other spendings to transfer around $20 million, about $20 million to Draft King and $1 million to Draft King.
March 20, 2024: The Dodgers have been involved in Ippei Mizuhara, an interpreter for shohei ohtani, amid allegations of “massimal theft” caused by gambling debt.
Ippei Mizuhara was fired after questions began to arise surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Shohei Ohtani’s bank account to bookmaking operations under federal investigations. An Otani spokesman initially told ESPN that Otani had transferred funds to cover Suwon’s gambling debt.
Read: Shohei ohtani, His Interpreter and Telecommunications: Timeline
March 25, 2024: Issues with NBA Eyes Raptors ‘Jontay Porter for Betting
Sources told ESPN that the Toronto Raptors had been investigated by the NBA to make prop bets from games he himself involved on January 26th and March 20th.
March 27, 2024: NCAA president calls for a ban on university prop betting
NCAA president Charlie Baker is calling for a ban on college prop bets. Baker said this is to protect the game’s “integrity and competition” and stop harassment of students and professional athletes.
April 11, 2024: Federal prosecutors say Mizuhara stole more than $16 million from Otani
Federal authorities have filed a complaint accusing Mizuhara of bank fraud in connection with allegations of stealing money from Ohatani to cover his own gambling debt. Prosecutors said Otani was considered a victim in this case.
April 17, 2024: The NBA bans Jontay Porter forever
The NBA announced it had investigated that “Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, restricting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes and betting on NBA games.”
June 3, 2024: Parents Marcano faces a potential lifetime ban
San Diego Padres infielder Tucu Pita Marcano faces a potential lifetime ban to bet on baseball. Major League Baseball received information that he had placed a bet on a game involving Pittsburgh pirates while he was with last season, sources confirmed to ESPN.
June 4, 2024: Marcano will be banned for life. Four other players have been suspended for a year
After violating MLB’s sports betting rules and policies, the league announced that San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano has been declared permanently ineligible. Additionally, Oakland track and field pitcher Michael Kelly, Padres Minor League pitcher Jay Groom, Philadelphia Phillies minor league infielder Jose Rodriguez and Arizona Diamondbacks minor league pitcher Andrew Sarfrank were all declared ineligible for a year.
June 14, 2024: MLB disciplining referees for violating the league’s gambling rules
Judgment Pat Hoberg is disciplined for violating the league’s rules of gambling, although the nature of his discipline is unknown. Hoberg has denied bets on baseball and has pleaded discipline, but has not umpied the game this season.
August 15, 2024: Notre Dame will suspend the men’s swimming team for at least one year for gambling
An external review found that members of the Irish men’s swimming team were in violation of NCAA rules by stakering the outcome of the competition and were unable to “treat each other with dignity and respect.” Sources say athletes have established sportsbooks within the team’s scope to place bets. However, sources said they had not placed bets on competitors or other Notre Dame athletic events.
0:48
Shams: Malik Beasley The subject of the federal gambling investigation
Shams Charania reports that Malik Beasley is currently investigating the gambling allegations involved in the NBA games and prop betting by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office.
2025
January 30, 2025: Federal investigators pay attention to Terry Rosier’s play in the 2023 match
Federal prosecutors are investigating the extraordinary betting patterns surrounding the play of former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rosier in the game almost two years ago. It’s part of the same investigation that led to Porter’s lifetime halt. The first report was reported by Wall Street Journal’s Rozier, who played for the Hornets at the time and now for the Miami Heat, but has not been charged with crimes and has been charged with fraud. The NBA said it had investigated the issue at the time and had not found that the league’s rules had been broken.
February 22, 2025: NCAA Fresno State investigates betting claims
Fresno and the NCAA are investigating allegations that two male basketball players took part in daily fantasy contests based on their performance, according to sources familiar with the issue.
Sources told ESPN that junior forward Michael Robinson and Associates were betting and taking part in a daily fantasy sports competition, including the Fresno state games he played. The stakes and fantasy entries include unders on Robinson’s points and rebounds, sources said. According to industry sources, at least one major US sportsbook has raised interest in betting on Robinson’s props in the game this season. Junior forward Robinson was removed from the roster after playing in the Jan. 11 game against Nevada. Attempts to contact Robinson for comment failed.
Fresno senior security guard Jalen Weaver told ESPN on Thursday that he played a fantasy contest every day at his points at the Bulldogs’ home game against New Mexico on December 31st. He scored 13 points with a 103-89 loss to Robo.
According to multiple sources well-versed in the investigation, sophomore guard Zaon Collins, the third Fresno player, was kicked out of an Air Force match on Saturday, where he allegedly bets on professional sports.
When the gambling investigation was first reported Saturday, Fresno stated in a statement that Weaver and Collins were “withheld from competition as the university considers eligibility.”
June 29: Source: Malik Beasley Federal Gambling Probe Theme for Pistons
Federal authorities are investigating Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on gambling allegations related to NBA games and props, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
The allegations came from the 2023-24 season when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks, sources said. Beasley averaged 11.3 points in 79 games that season, starting a career-high 77 during that time.
At least one well-known US Sportsbook has detected unusually heavy bet interest in Beasley’s statistics, a source in the gambling industry told ESPN’s David Purdum.
Gambling industry sources pointed to a match between the Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers on January 31, 2024. In the pre-match sportsbook, under-below 2.5 rebounds moved significantly, reducing them from +120 to about -250, causing under-behind-behind behavior to surge. Beasley finished with six rebounds and was deemed an unusually lost bet.
“The investigation is not a charge,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told ESPN. “Malik is given the same right to presumed crime as anyone else in the US Constitution. For now, he has not been charged with anything.
