Sports fans across the nation are reeling as new details emerge in a string of high-profile betting scandals shaking the very foundations of professional basketball and baseball. With legalized sports wagering now a fixture in 39 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC, the lines between the games and the gambling world have blurred like never before. Stadiums have become homes not just to athletes but to sportsbooks, while television networks flash odds alongside scores, and leagues tout their “official gaming partners.” But as the money pours in, so do the scandals, raising urgent questions about the integrity of the sports millions love.
In the latest and most sensational case, NBA player Terry Rozier, former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, and four bettors were indicted on October 23, 2025, for allegedly wagering on NBA games using nonpublic information. According to the unsealed indictment, Rozier stands accused of pulling himself from a game with a fake injury to rig proposition bets on his own performance—an explosive allegation that sent shockwaves through the league and its fanbase. The U.S. Department of Justice has made clear its intent to clamp down on illegal betting schemes, and this case is just the tip of the iceberg.
This isn’t the first time Rozier’s name has surfaced in connection with betting controversies. Back in 2023, the NBA investigated him after a betting probe but found no violation of league rules. Fast forward to 2025, and his arrest as part of a federal investigation into a sports gambling ring has reignited debates about whether leagues can truly police themselves. As one seasoned observer noted, “From the 1919 Black Sox scandal to the Pete Rose ban from baseball to the latest arrests, the pattern is the same: Leagues keep promising they can police themselves, failing, and promising next time will be better. And repeat.”
The Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office, led until recently by Carolyn Pokorny, has been at the forefront of prosecuting corruption in professional sports. Pokorny’s tenure saw the successful prosecution of not only high-profile figures such as former Congressman George Santos, singer R. Kelly, and Mexican drug lord El Mayo Zambada, but also a series of cases targeting the dark underbelly of sports betting. The office cracked down on corruption in international soccer, with the FIFA prosecutions resulting in more than 30 guilty pleas and multiple trial convictions over a decade-long span.
But it’s the recent cases in American sports that have truly captured the public’s attention. One case prosecuted by the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office involved an NBA coach and a former player allegedly conspiring with organized crime families to rig illegal poker games, causing victims to lose millions. Another case charged former and current NBA players and coaches with feeding inside information to bettors—an act that undermines the very spirit of fair competition. In Major League Baseball, two Cleveland Guardians players are accused of conspiring with gamblers to fix proposition bets on their own pitches, adding to the growing list of scandals threatening to erode fan trust.
Why is this happening now? The answer is as complex as the web of relationships between leagues, sportsbooks, and the athletes themselves. As sports betting has become a multibillion-dollar business, the potential for illegal activity has grown exponentially. Leagues, once staunch opponents of gambling, now embrace it as a lucrative revenue stream. According to a former federal prosecutor, “Law enforcement sees corruption in professional sports as no different than any other illegal scheme.” The stakes are high—not just for the athletes and coaches involved, but for the leagues themselves, whose credibility is on the line.
Despite the leagues’ assurances that they have matters under control, many experts remain unconvinced. Until recently, leagues pointed to strict gambling bans for players and personnel, as well as partnerships with sportsbooks and integrity-monitoring firms to identify suspicious betting. But as the Terry Rozier case demonstrates, these measures may not go far enough. The NBA’s internal investigation in 2023 cleared Rozier, yet federal prosecutors later brought charges that paint a very different picture.
Both NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have acknowledged the need for greater oversight. In October 2025, Silver stated on the “Pat McAfee Show,” “I think, probably, there should be more regulation, frankly.” Manfred echoed this sentiment, remarking, “We didn’t ask to have legalized sports betting. It kind of came, and that’s the environment in which we operate. Now we don’t have a lot of choice about that, and if it’s going to change—broadly change—probably the only way it would happen is the federal government.”
But waiting for Congress to act may be wishful thinking. With lawmakers still reeling from the latest government shutdown and mired in partisan bickering, the prospect of swift federal intervention seems remote. In the meantime, fan trust continues to erode, and the leagues’ reputations hang in the balance. “Fan trust is eroding now. The commissioners can act today,” one legal expert insisted, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
So, what’s the solution? Many are calling for the creation of an independent watchdog or inspector general for sports integrity—a body funded by the leagues but structurally independent, with the power to impartially investigate internal misconduct and refer crimes to prosecutors. Drawing inspiration from Wall Street’s Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), proponents argue that such a model could restore credibility to professional sports. As a former inspector general for New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority explained, “That’s how we did it at the MTA, where we rooted out acts of waste, fraud, and abuse and instituted best practices, all while securing tens of millions in cost savings for the largest public transportation network in North America.”
Substantiated findings could be made public, providing much-needed transparency and reassurance to fans. Given the vast sums of money flowing into sports betting, funding such an initiative should be an “easy layup.” The hope is that by borrowing from proven models of independent oversight, leagues can finally deliver on their promises to keep the games honest and restore faith among their most loyal supporters.
As the legal battles play out and the investigations continue, one thing is clear: the intersection of sports and gambling has created a high-stakes environment where the integrity of the game is constantly at risk. Whether the leagues will rise to the challenge and embrace true independent oversight remains to be seen. For now, fans, players, and officials alike are left watching, waiting, and hoping that the next chapter in this saga will bring more accountability and less scandal to the sports they cherish.
