Federal Sports Betting Investigation Expands From NBA to College Hoops
Posted on: February 4, 2025, 08:36h.
Last updated on: February 4, 2025, 10:44h.
A federal probe into an alleged criminal outfit that convinced at least one NBA player to manipulate games for their benefit has reportedly expanded to college basketball.

In October, former NBA player Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge in New York’s Eastern District Court for participating in a sports betting scheme. Porter, a former Toronto Raptors player, admitted to throwing two games during the 2024 regular season.
In each, Porter told his coaches he was either sick or injured and was abruptly pulled after playing just a few minutes. Federal prosecutors say his co-conspirators, a handful of men, netted more than $1 million by making large player prop bets on Porter’s underwhelming performance.
Porter’s admission of guilt led to him becoming the first player in NBA history to be permanently banned from the sport on sports betting grievances. Three men — Long Phi Pham, Timothy McCormack, and Mahmud Mollah — have since pleaded guilty to wire fraud and are awaiting sentencing in May.
They face up to 20 years in prison, though prosecutors are expected to advocate for lighter sentences, including the possibility of no time behind bars, in exchange for their guilty pleas. Porter is also scheduled to be sentenced in May and faces similar sentencing guidelines.
Sports Betting Probe Expands
ESPN reported this week that the federal probe of the sports gambling ring has expanded to college sports.
Federal authorities are investigating several college hoops games related to suspicious betting activity linked to the DraftKings account that Pham, McCormack, and Mollah used. Ammar Awawdeh and Shane Hennen are the two others charged with the illegal operation.
Law enforcement, sources told ESPN, is looking at two games involving the men’s Eastern Michigan basketball program in December and last month. Suspicious activity surrounding a January 9 game between North Carolina A&T and Delaware has also come into focus.
The operation might have also included NBA player Terry Rozier while he was with the Charlotte Hornets in 2023. The NBA says its investigation determined no wrongdoing by the now-Miami Heat player, but the federal review is ongoing.
During a 2023 game between the Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans that possibly included suspicious betting activity, Rozier pulled himself from the game due to a foot injury after playing just nine minutes.
NCAA, NBA Cooperating With Feds
The NCAA and NBA, as well as the NFL, MLB, NHL, and other pro sports organizations that are commonly bet on, maintain that protecting the integrity of their games is paramount in a regulated sports gambling industry.
When the NBA placed Porter on its permanent ineligible list in April, league Commissioner Adam Silver said there is “nothing more important than protecting the integrity” of the sport.
While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game,” Silver added.
“The NCAA takes sports betting very seriously and is committed to the protection of student-athlete well-being and the integrity of competition. The Association works with integrity monitoring services, state regulators, and other stakeholders to conduct appropriate due diligence whenever suspicious reports are received,” an NCAA statement read.
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