The Biggest Point-Shaving Scandal in American Sports History: 39 Players, 17 Teams, 29 Fixed Games
On January 15, 2026, the Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that sent shockwaves through the sports betting industry. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf stood before reporters in Philadelphia and announced what prosecutors are calling the most sweeping college basketball match-fixing scheme since the infamous 1951 point-shaving scandal that nearly destroyed the sport.
"This was a massive scheme," Metcalf told the assembled press. The numbers alone are staggering: more than 39 college basketball players across 17 NCAA Division I programs allegedly fixed or attempted to fix 29 games during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The players were paid bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game to deliberately underperform and ensure their teams failed to cover point spreads.
For bettors who have poured billions into the legal sports wagering market that exploded after the Supreme Court's 2018 decision to strike down PASPA, this scandal represents an existential threat to market integrity. And disturbingly, it is not an isolated incident. The college basketball indictments came just months after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were charged with rigging individual pitches for gamblers, and within weeks of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleading not guilty to participating in Mafia-connected rigged poker games.
The Anatomy of a Fix: How the Scheme Operated
According to court documents, the conspiracy was orchestrated by two individuals named in the indictment: Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley. Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was also named, though he has been charged separately. The operation began around September 2022, initially targeting games in the Chinese Basketball Association where Blakeney was playing as a leading scorer.
The fixers employed a straightforward but effective strategy. They identified games where a corrupted player was on a team expected to lose, then bribed that player to deliberately underperform. The scheme targeted both first-half and full-game point spreads, with players instructed to miss shots, turn the ball over, or simply play below their capabilities to ensure their team did not cover the spread.
How the bribes worked: The people behind the alleged scheme found games in which a corrupted player was on a team that was favored to lose and then bribing the player to deliberately underperform during the game and not cover the point spread. Payments typically ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
Of the 26 defendants charged in the main indictment, 20 played college basketball during the affected seasons. Four of those players, Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Camian Shell, and Oumar Koureissi, had actually played for their current teams within the week before the indictment was unsealed. Eleven student-athletes have already lost their eligibility permanently, with NCAA enforcement having completed or opened investigations into almost all the teams identified.
Schools Implicated in the Scandal
The charges are severe. Defendants face counts of bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with the alleged fixers also charged with additional wire fraud counts. The bribery charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while the fraud charges can result in up to 20 years behind bars.
A Perfect Storm: Sports Betting's Integrity Crisis
What makes this scandal particularly alarming is that it is not happening in isolation. American sports are facing an unprecedented wave of integrity concerns across multiple leagues and betting types.
Impact on Sports Betting Markets
The ramifications for bettors are significant and multifaceted. First, there is the immediate issue of market integrity. If 29 games over two seasons were allegedly fixed in college basketball alone, how many other games across other sports might have been compromised without detection?
The scandal has already triggered changes in how sportsbooks approach college betting. Following the Cleveland pitching scandal, MLB worked with gambling companies to limit in-game pitch wagers to just $200. Similar restrictions on college athlete prop bets are now being pushed at both state and federal levels.
Warning Signs Bettors Should Have Noticed
According to the indictment, the schemes often targeted games involving heavy underdogs, where unusual late money on the underdog not to cover might have been a red flag. The Sports Betting Alliance noted that legal sportsbooks played an integral role in detecting and disclosing the suspicious betting activity to authorities. This underscores why betting through regulated platforms provides some protection that black market operations cannot offer.
Line Movement Red Flags
While hindsight is 20/20, the scandal provides valuable lessons for identifying potentially compromised games:
- Unusual reverse line movement: When a line moves against the majority of tickets, especially late, it can indicate sharp or informed money.
- Heavy action on obscure games: Mid-major college basketball games typically do not attract significant handle. When they do, it warrants attention.
- First-half spreads diverging from full-game lines: The scheme specifically targeted both first-half and full-game spreads, suggesting coordinated manipulation.
- Player performance anomalies: Key players suddenly underperforming basic statistics, especially in games where the spread moved unusually.
Regulatory Response: The SAFE Bet Act and State Action
The scandals have reinvigorated efforts to impose federal oversight on the sports betting industry. The Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every Bet Act, known as the SAFE Bet Act, has been reintroduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
The legislation is sweeping in its scope. If passed, it would:
- Prohibit gambling advertisements between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. and during live sporting events
- Ban promotional offers like "bonus bets" and "no sweat bets"
- Limit deposits to five transactions per 24-hour period
- Require operators to verify customers' financial ability before accepting high-value bets
- Prohibit AI-driven tracking of individual gambling habits and creation of personalized "microbets"
- Ban prop bets entirely
- Establish a nationwide ban requiring all 38 states with legal sports betting to reapply through the U.S. Justice Department for three-year approvals
- Create a national Self-Exclusion List that operators must check before accepting wagers
The American Gaming Association has criticized the bill as a "slap in the face" to state legislators, and industry experts suggest it has "almost no chance" of passing in its current form. However, the accumulating scandals have shifted public opinion. A December 2025 University of Maryland and Washington Post survey found that 36% of Americans now view sports betting as a "bad thing," up from just 23% in 2022.
NCAA President Charlie Baker's Response
NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement calling for states to ban prop bets on college athletes. "Protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance for the NCAA," Baker said, thanking law enforcement for their work detecting match manipulation. The NCAA has sent letters to state gambling oversight boards urging them to prohibit college athlete prop bets and certain specialty wagers, such as bets on whether a team will trail by a particular spread at halftime.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine pointed to his state's existing ban on collegiate prop bets, implemented in February 2024, as a model. "States across the country need to follow Ohio's lead and heed NCAA President Charlie Baker's call," DeWine stated. Missouri is already considering new restrictions in response to the scandal.
How to Protect Yourself: A Bettor's Guide
Actionable Steps for Protecting Your Bankroll
- Stick to regulated sportsbooks: Legal operators detected the suspicious activity in the college basketball scandal. Underground bookies have no such incentive or obligation to report manipulation.
- Be wary of player prop bets on college athletes: These are the exact bet types being exploited. Until stronger safeguards are in place, the risk/reward calculation favors caution.
- Monitor line movements, especially late: Unusual movement on obscure games, particularly when the line moves against public sentiment, can indicate informed money.
- Diversify your betting across leagues and bet types: Concentration in any single market increases exposure to manipulation. Spread your action.
- Focus on major conference games: While not immune to corruption, high-profile games have more scrutiny. The schools implicated in this scandal were predominantly mid-majors and HBCUs.
- Trust the closing line: Sportsbooks adjust lines based on sharp action. If you are consistently beating the close, your edge is likely real. If the close moves dramatically against you, consider what information you might be missing.
- Document anomalies: If you notice suspicious patterns, report them to your sportsbook and state gaming commission. You could be the first line of defense.
The Timeline of a Crisis
The point-shaving scheme allegedly begins, initially targeting Chinese Basketball Association games where former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was playing.
Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians allegedly begins accepting bribes to rig pitches, according to federal prosecutors.
Terry Rozier allegedly helps friends place winning bets based on his performance while with the Charlotte Hornets.
Jontay Porter pleads guilty to removing himself from NBA games for gambling purposes and is permanently banned from the league.
Luis Ortiz allegedly joins Clase in the pitch-rigging scheme.
FBI arrests 34 people including Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier in sweeping gambling investigations.
Clase and Ortiz indicted for pitch rigging. Billups pleads not guilty to Mafia poker charges.
DOJ unseals indictment charging 26 people in the college basketball point-shaving scandal.
Timothy McCormack sentenced to two years in prison, the first conviction in the NBA betting scandal.
The Bottom Line: What This Means for the Future of Sports Betting
The legal sports betting industry has grown from essentially zero to over $100 billion in annual handle since 2018. That explosive growth was predicated on a promise of market integrity that is now being tested as never before. The college basketball scandal, combined with the MLB pitch-rigging case and NBA insider betting schemes, represents a fundamental challenge to that promise.
For bettors, the path forward requires both vigilance and pragmatism. Regulated markets remain far safer than underground alternatives. Avoiding player prop bets on college athletes is now a risk management imperative rather than a mere preference. And maintaining a healthy skepticism about unusual line movements, especially in lower-profile games, is more important than ever.
The industry is at a crossroads. Either regulators, sportsbooks, and leagues will implement meaningful safeguards to restore confidence, or the scandals will continue, potentially bringing the regulatory hammer down in ways that hurt bettors and operators alike. The SAFE Bet Act may be unlikely to pass in its current form, but the political will for action is building.
The 1951 point-shaving scandal nearly killed college basketball. The sport recovered, eventually thriving beyond anyone's imagination. Whether the legal sports betting industry can navigate its own crisis of confidence with similar resilience remains to be seen. But for now, the message to bettors is clear: proceed with caution, bet with your eyes open, and never forget that where there is money, there will always be those willing to cheat to get it.