NBA gambling scandal erupts again as federal investigators highlight more games
Prosecutors say they are looking into more games related to the scandal that has blown through the NBA like a hurricane.
Federal investigators examining an alleged illegal sports betting operation linked to NBA games are now looking beyond the matchups already made public, according to recent reporting.
What initially appeared to be a contained scandal involving a small number of players may, in fact, be part of a wider pattern that authorities are still working to uncover.
The investigation first came into focus last autumn when federal prosecutors unsealed indictments connected to suspicious betting activity on NBA player prop markets. Those charges followed earlier action against former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who was accused of manipulating his on-court participation to influence betting outcomes.
Shortly after, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested in connection with similar allegations, with prosecutors stating that seven games had been affected across the two cases.
Now, reports say officials have confirmed that their work is far from complete: court filings and recent sentencing hearings suggest that additional games may have been compromised.
Prosecutors have not disclosed how many further contests are under review or whether more players could ultimately be implicated, but what is clear is that investigators believe the same betting network extended its activity beyond the cases already revealed.
One individual central to the scheme, Timothy McCormack, was sentenced to two years in federal prison last week. McCormack admitted his role in placing bets connected to the games involving Porter and Rozier, pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. During the proceedings, federal prosecutors indicated that McCormack’s conduct followed similar patterns in other, as yet undisclosed, instances. Authorities confirmed that their investigation remains active.
David Berman, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, admitted in court last week that “the government has ongoing investigations,” adding that “our understanding is the defendant has conducted himself in similar manners in other instances as well.”
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NBA spokesman Mike Bass said: “We continue to assist the relevant authorities in their investigation as well as work with federal and state regulators on appropriate limitations on the types of bets placed on NBA games. The integrity of our game remains our highest priority.”
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