Timeline of past century's major pro sports gambling scandals

The rocky matrimony of squad sports and illicit gambling dates backmost much than a period successful the United States, bookended by the game-fixing ungraded by 8 Chicago White Sox players successful the 1919 World Series and the existent FBI probe into prop betting and poker crippled fixing involving assorted NBA figures. No large nonrecreational athletics appears immune to gambling scandals, arsenic the pursuing partial timeline suggests.

NBA

1950: Sol Levy, an NBA referee from 1948-51, faced 7 transgression counts related to fixing games during the 1950-51 season, chiefly by calling fouls to impact scoring. As The New York Times reported, helium received a three-year condemnation successful New York successful 1953 but won an entreaty successful 1954 that led to his release.

1951: A gambling ungraded astatine the City College of New York was not NBA-specific but did impact players who astatine the clip were playing successful the NBA. Players and erstwhile players from 7 colleges were arrested connected point-shaving charges stemming from assemblage hoops games from 1947-1950. Among those charged were erstwhile University of Kentucky players Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, who were playing astatine the clip for the Indianapolis Olympians of the NBA and subsequently were banned aft they aboriginal admitted to accepting bribes.

Former Kentucky teammate Dale Barnstable, who besides admitted to taking a bribe on with Groza and Beard, was a seventh-round prime by the Boston Celtics successful the 1950 NBA Draft but chose not to play nonrecreational hoops astatine the time. He was aboriginal banned.

Other assemblage players from the 1951 ungraded who were arrested included Bradley University's Gene Melchiorre, who was the No. 1 prime successful the 1951 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets but was banned and ne'er played an NBA game.

Among different NBA draftees who were progressive successful the ungraded but ne'er played successful the NBA: Bill Mann (Bradley, 1951 NBA third-round pick), Irwin Dambrot (CCNY, seventh prime successful 1950 NBA Draft). Norm Mager (CCNY, 1950 fifth-round pick) was drafted successful 1950 and spent 1 play with the Baltimore Bullets.

1954: Jack Molinas was a erstwhile Columbia University subordinate selected successful the archetypal circular of the 1953 NBA Draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons. Molinas was recovered to person stake connected Pistons games during his 1953-54 rookie play and was banned aft helium confessed to wagering. In 1961, Molinas was recovered blameworthy and sentenced to 10 to 15 years successful situation for bribing players to shave points successful assemblage games betwixt 1959 and 1961.

Among those affected by that ungraded was Doug Moe, who would aboriginal spell connected to go an ABA and NBA coach. As bribe wealth flowed among conspirators, Moe declined an connection and refused to propulsion a crippled portion helium played astatine the University of North Carolina. Moe was a 1961 NBA second-round draught prime and played 5 seasons successful the ABA earlier joining the coaching ranks.

Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins was besides banned, contempt proclaiming his innocence aft he, too, was implicated successful the 1961 Molinas scandal. Walter Kennedy, NBA commissioner astatine the time, banned Hawkins, adjacent aft Molinas and different co-conspirators said that Hawkins "had nary information oregon cognition of fixing games." Hawkins' prohibition was yet lifted. His playing vocation spanned 9 seasons successful the ABA and NBA, and helium was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame successful 1992.

1985-86: John "Hot Rod" Williams, who played 13 NBA seasons, was immersed successful 2 trials related to betting scandals erstwhile helium played astatine Tulane, earlier helium played successful the NBA. The archetypal proceedings ended successful a mistrial, and Williams was acquitted successful the second.

2007: The FBI contacted the NBA successful 2007 arsenic it investigated allegations that seasoned referee Tim Donaghy was betting connected games successful which helium was officiating. Donaghy resigned successful July 2007 and yet pleaded blameworthy to charges of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and transmitting wagering information.

2024: Jontay Porter, a two-way subordinate astir precocious nether declaration with the Toronto Raptors, was banned from the NBA aft a league probe determined helium had disclosed confidential accusation to sports bettors and underperformed successful 1 oregon much games for betting purposes. He besides stake connected NBA games, the probe found. Although helium didn't play successful those games, it inactive constituted a usurpation of league rules.

2025: An extended and ongoing FBI probe identified a existent and erstwhile NBA subordinate and 1 manager successful alleged, fixed-game betting scandals, arsenic good arsenic alleged information successful poker games rigged by Mafia figures.

NFL

1946: In the NFL title against the Chicago Bears, New York Giants backmost Frank Filchock and fullback Merle Hapes were implicated successful an alleged bribe...