The Integrity Monitor: Tracking Incidents of Athletes Betting on Sports

Timeline

2024

Oct. 23, 2024: Hysier Miller was dismissed by Virginia Tech due to a betting scandal investigation involving his former team, Temple.

Sept. 11, 2024: South Korean soccer player Son Jun-ho claims he provided a false confession of match-fixing when threatened by Chinese authorities.

Sept. 10, 2024: The Chinese Football Association banned 38 soccer players and five officials for life for match-fixing and gambling.

Aug. 15, 2024: Notre Dame suspended its men's swimming team for one academic year after members were found to be betting on one another's outcomes in races.

Aug. 12, 2024: California bookie Mathew Bowyer pleads guilty to running an illegal gambling operation for his role in the Shohei Ohtani betting scandal.

July 30, 2024: An Indiana man has been sentenced to 8 months in prison for his role in a 2023 college baseball sports betting scandal.

July 17, 2024: The state of Louisiana dropped gambling and fraud charges against former LSU wideout Kayshon Boutte.

July 11, 2024: Former NBA center Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a sports betting scheme that resulted in a lifetime ban from the league.

BREAKING: Former NBA player Jontay Porter pleads guilty in a case tied to the betting scandal that got him banned from the league earlier this year. https://t.co/oGYRcWTKVW

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 10, 2024

June 14, 2024: MLS player Felipe Hernandez was placed on administrative leave following a report of gambling violations. The midfielder was suspended in 2021 for gambling violations.

June 14, 2024: MLB disciplined umpire Pat Hoberg for undisclosed gambling violations. Hoberg is appealing the decision.

June 11, 2024: A former tennis player and official have admitted to betting on the sport. Slovenian tennis player David Gorsic and official Steven Nguyen have been sanctioned by the ITIA.

June 4, 2024: MLB banned San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on baseball. Betting data found his bets included wagers on the Pittsburgh Pirates while he was with the team between 2022 and 2023. Michael Kelly, Jay Groome, Jose Rodriguez, and Andrew Saalfrank were given one-year suspensions for violating sports betting rules.

June 3, 2024: San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano and four other players are under investigation for betting on baseball. They are facing potential lifetime bans from the sport.

May 23, 2024: English FA charges West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta for breaching betting rules. He's alleged to have intentionally sought to receive yellow cards in four matches from 2022 to 2023.

May 20, 2024: Former NHLer Aaron Ward reveals he had a gambling addiction and bet on sports during his playing career.

May 20, 2024: MLB is investigating former Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher for allegedly placing bets with the same bookmaker used by Ippei Mizuhara.

May 8, 2024: Ippei Mizuhara agrees to plead guilty to bank fraud and tax fraud after stealing millions from MLB star Shohei Ohtani.

April 24, 2024: The CFL suspended retired defensive lineman Shawn Lemon indefinitely for betting on games, including one he played in.

April 19, 2024: Bulgarian tennis official Pavel Atanasov has been banned from tennis for life after 21 breaches of the sport's anti-corruption program from 2019 to 2023.

April 17, 2024: Following an investigation, the NBA handed Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter a lifetime ban due to violating the league's gambling policy.

April 11, 2024: Ippei Mizuhara, the ex-interpreter for MLB star Shohei Ohtani, is charged with bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from the two-time MVP.

April 9, 2024: Spanish tennis player Aaron Cortes has been suspended for 15 years for match-fixing, betting on tennis, and other offences.

March 28, 2024: English soccer's governing body charged Newcastle's Sandro Tonali with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of the FA's betting rules.

March 25, 2024: Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter is under investigation for betting irregularities involving his player props.

March 25, 2024: Shohei Ohtani made a public statement about the gambling scandal involving his former interpreter, stating he "never bet on baseball or any other sport."

March 20, 2024: MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers after incurring massive gambling debts.

March 12, 2024: Former Jacksonville Jaguars finance manager Amit Patel was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for stealing $22 million from the team.

March 1, 2024: Former Iowa State athletes Isaiah Lee, Jirehi Brock, Enyi Uwazurike, and Paniro Johnson had their charges for illegal gambling dropped by state prosecutors.

Feb. 13, 2024: A Division III women's basketball coach at Sewanee was fined and handed one-year probation for placing more than $93,000 in bets on college and professional sports over a 26-month period.

Jan. 25, 2024: Former LSU star Kayshon Boutte is arrested and charged with computer fraud and wagering under the age of 21 for allegedly placing more than 8,900 bets while in college.

2023

October 27, 2023: The PGA TOUR announces two Korn Ferry Tour members are suspended for betting on PGA TOUR competitions, albeit not ones in which they played.

October 26, 2023: The National Hockey League suspends Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto for 41 games over "activities relating to sports wagering."

The NHL announced today that it has suspended Shane Pinto for 41 games for activities relating to sports wagering. https://t.co/AvOhmVCVOc pic.twitter.com/3jI32Wu4T2

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 26, 2023

September 28, 2023: The NCAA announces sanctions for Air Force after it was revealed the service academy's former golf coach "knowingly participated in impermissible sports wagering," including by betting on the school's football program.

September 15, 2023: ESPN reports a man from Indiana, who was "at the center of investigations into suspicious bets on an Alabama baseball game this spring," is now permanently banned from wagering at the state's sportsbooks. 

September 6, 2023: Five current and former college athletes from Iowa and Iowa State, including Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers and offensive lineman Jake Remsburg, reportedly pleaded guilty to underage gambling, a lesser charge than they initially faced. Instead of possible jail time, the underage gambling charge carries a fine of $645 and comes in the wake of a state investigation into sports betting.

"The original records tampering charge against these young men never fit this case, either legally or factually," attorney Mark Weinhardt said in a statement to ESPN and other media. "Hunter, Jake, and [former Iowa State player Dodge Sauser] are not and never were guilty of that charge. The charge has nothing to do with gambling. Other than the fact that Hunter, Jake, and Dodge placed some bets before they turned 21, nothing about those bets was a crime under Iowa law."

September 2, 2023: Iowa State offensive lineman Jake Remsburg reportedly sits out the Cyclones' first game of the season as he awaits an expected six-game suspension tied to a gambling-related investigation. 

August 10, 2023: More Iowa State players are charged with records tampering by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation — starting running back Jirehl Brock, plus Isaiah Lee, DeShawn Hanika, and Jacob Remsburg — with the players accused of not just betting on ISU games they played in, but in one instance betting against their own team.

August 2, 2023: Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers was charged with tampering with records following an investigation, by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, that alleges Dekkers placed bets on ISU games. Dekkers allegedly placed almost $2,800 in mobile sports bets, with 26 total wagers on Iowa State sporting events. An ISU An wrestler, Paniro Johnson, also was accused of placing 1,283 bets (totaling $45,640), some of which were on Iowa State matchups.

July 24, 2023: The National Football League announces Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike is suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games during the 2022 season. Uwazurike, who recorded 17 total tackles and no sacks in his first year in the league out of Iowa State, can seek reinstatement no earlier than July 24, 2024, the NFL said.

June 29, 2023: The NFL announces it suspended three players for at least a season and another for six games for violating its gambling policy. One of the indefinite suspensions is for Indianapolis Colts cornerback and kick returner Isaiah Rodgers, who previously mentioned “mistakes” via social media. Rodgers, fellow Colt Rashod Berry, and free agent Demetrius Taylor were suspended for a season at minimum for betting on NFL games. Tennessee Titan Nicholas Petit-Frere received a six-game ban for betting on non-NFL sports at a team facility.

"The gambling policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, including players, prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility," the league said.  

June 5, 2023: The NFL's investigation of Isaiah Rodgers comes to light. The league is reportedly looking at Rodgers for potential breaches of its gambling policy.

Updated list of player gambling suspensions the last 2 years:

At least 1 year (bets on NFL):
- WR Calvin Ridley
- CB Isaiah Rodgers
- LB Rashod Berry
- DT Demetrius Taylor
- S CJ Moore
- WR Quintez Cephus
- DE Shaka Toney

6 games (non-NFL bets but done at work):
- OT Nicholas…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 29, 2023

May 8, 2023: Iowa and Iowa State announce multiple college athletes across multiple sports are suspected of breaking NCAA gambling rules. Those rules prohibit student-athletes from wagering on sports (even if they are professional) for which the organization conducts a championship. 

May 4, 2023: Alabama's baseball coach is let go amid an investigation into suspicious betting activity involving a Crimson Tide game. The start of the termination process came days after the Ohio Casino Control Commission prohibited wagering on games involving Alabama baseball following a report from an integrity-monitoring firm. The alleged suspicious wagering activity reportedly happened at the Great American Ball Park’s sportsbook in Cincinnati.

April 21, 2023: The NFL suspends five players for violating the league’s gambling policy. Four are Detroit Lions, including receiver Jameson Williams, who received a six-game penalty for betting non-NFL games from a team facility. The other four suspended are Stanley Berryhill, who also received six games, as well as fellow Lions Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore, and Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney. Cephus, Moore, and Toney are suspended for a year at minimum. 

2022

Dec. 23, 2022: The NFL suspends former wide receiver and then-New York Jets coach Miles Austin for at least a year for breaching the league's gambling policy. Austin was reportedly wagering using a mobile device on table games and non-NFL sports from a team facility. 

Dec. 1, 2022: The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario bans wagering on UFC events following “alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, and reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions.” The regulator does not permit betting on UFC fights until January 19 after the mixed martial arts organization announced an update to its gambling-related policies, such as banning all "insiders" from placing wagers on its matches.

Nov. 5, 2022: A UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke reportedly attracts suspicious betting activity. The match lasts just over a minute, with Minner appearing to injure his leg following a kick. 

March 7, 2022: The NFL suspends then-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley indefinitely (but at least through the 2022 campaign) for betting on the league's games during the 2021 season. Ridley is reinstated by the NFL in March 2023 and joins the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2019

Nov. 29, 2019: Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw is suspended for at least the 2020 season for betting on NFL games. He was reinstated in March 2021 but has not played an NFL game since. 

Why are more athletes betting on sports now?

There’s a chance some were already, but the spread of legal sports betting in Canada and the U.S. has made it more accessible and prevalent. Instead of having to fly to Las Vegas, professional athletes, like the public, are able to wager from their phones at online betting sites any time they are located in a state with legal sports betting.

How do athletes get caught betting on sports?

Legal betting jurisdictions can require operators to report any suspicious wagering activity, and bookmakers can use monitoring companies, such as U.S. Integrity, to assist them.

For instance, large sums suddenly wagered in an obscure betting market could attract attention. Furthermore, geolocation technology can pinpoint the location of would-be bettors — including if they are trying to wager from a team facility.

Summary of sports betting incidents

• June 29, 2023: The NFL suspends four players for violating its gambling policy.    
• June 5, 2023: The NFL announces it is investigating Colts' CB Isaiah Rodgers.    
• May 8, 2023: Iowa and Iowa State announce multiple college athletes are suspected of breaking NCAA gambling rules.    
• May 4, 2023: Alabama Crimson Tide's baseball coach is let go amid an investigation into suspicious betting activity.
• April 21, 2023: The NFL suspends five players; for violating the league's gambling policy. 
• Dec. 23, 2022: The NFL suspends former wide receiver and then-New York Jets coach Miles Austin for at least a year.
• Dec. 1, 2022: The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario bans wagering on UFC events.  
• Nov. 5, 2022: A UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbiekea reportedly attracts suspicious betting activity.
• March 7, 2022: The NFL suspends Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley indefinitely.
• Nov. 29, 2019: Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw is suspended.