NBA officials met with a United States congressional committee to discuss the gambling probes that resulted in stunning indictments.
According to ESPN, the meeting was considered an informational sit-down for members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce – including conversations about the league’s partnerships with sportsbooks and measures to prevent illegal use of non-public information.
The committee sent a written request to the NBA for a briefing with league commissioner Adam Silver but he was not in attendance at Wednesday’s session.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were among dozens arrested in the scandal that sent shockwaves through global sport.
On one occasion, a professional bettor placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on Rozier’s statistics in a March 2023 game, collecting over $13,000 in profit when the player exited after just ten minutes with a foot injury.
At least six different operators across the United States detected suspicious activity on Rozier props that day and surprisingly, the NBA investigated the matter in 2023 and found that no rules were violated.
However, Rozier remained under federal investigation by the FBI and they made their move to arrest the 31-year-old last month.
Billups was named in a separate indictment, one of 31 players charged in an illegal poker game case involving retired players and the mafia.
Investigators uncovered an alleged scheme to lure victims into playing rigged poker games alongside high-profile sports stars before stealing millions of dollars, using technology like special contact lenses and glasses that could read pre-marked cards and an X-ray table.
There have been countless cases in recent years, such as former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter being banned for life after disclosing confidential information to sports bettors and betting on games himself.
Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley was the target of a gambling probe conducted by the Eastern District of New York too, but in August it was announced the investigation had been dropped.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
