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Federal authorities have indicted over a dozen individuals in connection with an alleged scheme to manipulate the outcomes of college and international basketball games, as revealed by court documents made public on Thursday.
The indictment, which was filed in Philadelphia, includes charges of “bribery in sporting contests” and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. It names more than 20 individuals accused of orchestrating the fixing of college basketball games to gain financial advantages for bettors.
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(The Hill) — More than a dozen people have been indicted by federal authorities with a reported scheme to rig college and overseas basketball games, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday.
The federal indictment, filed in Philadelphia, cites charges of “bribery in sporting contest” and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, naming more than 20 people who authorities say fixed college basketball game outcomes to benefit bettors.
Prosecutors allege that over a period of three years, the fixers recruited players to ensure a particular team did not cover a pre-game points spread or placed wagers on certain outcomes based on the agreements with athletes.
The scheme began overseas in the Chinese Basketball Association as early as 2022, with payments of up to $20,000 to athletes who agreed to participate in game rigging and point shaving.
The indictment estimates that the group of fixers then conspired with a total of 39 players on 17 different Division I basketball teams and attempted to fix nearly 29 NCAA games.
The fixers placed millions of dollars in wagers, according to the court documents, and paid out hundreds of thousands in profits to athletes who participated in the scheme.
Thursday’s indictment comes just months after a sweeping investigation by the NBA ended with charges being brought against a number of current and former NBA players and coaches in connection of scheme to rig games and benefit organized crime families.
Major League Baseball was hit with a scandal focusing on pitch rigging just weeks later.
The spate of gambling and game rigging scandals in recent months has led lawmakers on Capitol Hill to express outrage at pro leagues and major conferences, who they say are not doing enough to police illegal activity and protect the integrity of games.
