The statewide expansion of sports betting inevitably impacted many sports, affecting not only professional but collegiate athletes. But while in some cases a disgruntled bettor would take it to social media to share dissatisfaction with a lost bet, in other cases, concerns about the integrity of popular competitions are raised.
Professional athletes are also not immune to manipulation attempts and a recent report reveals that a high-profile NBA player is reportedly under investigation by federal authorities.
Terry Rozier Under Federal Scrutiny
That’s the case for Terry Rozier, a star basketball player who is currently playing for Miami Heat. As announced by the Wall Street Journal, a federal investigation seeks to determine whether or not the famous player manipulated his performance while he was playing with the Charlotte Hornets. A game between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans from March 23, 2023, raised concerns about suspicious betting activities, which led to an investigation.
Reportedly, the gambling probe into Rozier is the same one that resulted in a lifetime ban and criminal charge for Jontay Porter, the former Toronto Raptors forward. A total of five people, allegedly involved in the betting scheme with Porter, faced charges. The latest arrest of a person suspected of being linked to Porter was earlier this month.
During the game between Charlotte and New Orleans, Rozier played for just above nine minutes. That marked a significant contrast, considering he was one of the team’s top players with an average of 35 minutes and 21 points per game. During the game on March 23, 2023, Rozier left with a foot injury.
The famous player did not return for the game and didn’t play in the upcoming eight games. Rozier’s performance and in particular, the number of wagers on his “under” performance were flagged by the integrity firm that powers betting operators and collaborates with government agencies, U.S. Integrity. According to the Wall Street Journal, some betting operators stopped accepting wagers on Rozier.
NBA, Aware of the Probe, Will Continue to Collaborate with Authorities
The statewide expansion of sports betting granted millions of Americans access to legal wagers. While traditional betting on the outcome of a game is always an option, many bettors prefer the popular prop bets.
Such wagers, which some pundits recognize as highly speculative, enable betting on particular aspect of a game such as fouls, retakes, points a specific player will make. Wagering on an athlete hitting a benchmark is one thing, but prop bets are also available on “under” performance, which otherwise means placing a wager on an athlete to perform unsatisfactory.
Mike Bass, a spokesperson for the NBA, confirmed that the League was notified about unusual betting activities related to Rozier’s performance from March 2023. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules,” he added. Finally, Bass acknowledged that the NBA is aware of an ongoing investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and will continue to collaborate with the authorities.
So far, Rozier isn’t facing any charges or accusations. It is yet to be seen what the gambling probe will uncover and whether or not further individuals are facing scrutiny.