(NewsNation) — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among 34 people charged in a sweeping investigation into illegal sports betting and Mafia-backed poker schemes.
The latest case underscores how gambling scandals have long shadowed professional sports.
However, the May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lifted the federal ban on sports betting has coincided with a surge in incidents involving athletes and officials.
The ruling struck down a federal law that barred sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take up a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.
Here’s a look at some of the most notable sports betting scandals in recent decades:
Jontay Porter (NBA)
In April 2024, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned for life after the NBA found he leaked confidential information to bettors and wagered on games, including betting against his own team.
National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver called his actions “blatant.”
The league’s probe was sparked after it received a tip from “licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets” of unusual betting activity linked to Porter’s performance on March 20.
The NBA determined that Porter gave a bettor information about his own health status before that game and said someone known to be an NBA bettor placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million.
Ippei Mizuhara (MLB)
In March 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend, Ippei Mizuhara, after reports surfaced about his ties to an illegal bookmaker.
Three months later, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s account to fund his gambling addiction and cover personal expenses.
Mizuhara capitalized on the language barrier to keep Ohtani’s financial advisers from understanding their client. He even impersonated Ohtani at the bank to prolong the fraud.
Calvin Ridley (NFL)
Former Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 NFL season after betting on league games while away from the team.
Tim Donaghy (NBA)
In 2008, NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to wire fraud and transmitting betting information for taking thousands of dollars from a gambler for inside tips on games, including games he worked. He was sentenced by a federal judge to 15 months behind bars.
Pete Rose (MLB)
In 1989, Pete Rose accepted a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball after investigators found he bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win from 1985 to 1987 while managing and playing for the team.
Though he died in 2024, he is still ineligible for the Hall of Fame; new MLB rule changes in 2025 may finally open the door to his induction.