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US sports gambling scandals through the years

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Monday, November 10th 2025 at 10:58 GMT by WSB-TV

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U.S. Sports‑Gambling Scandals: A Decades‑Long Reckoning

The rise of legal sports betting in the United States has brought excitement for fans and revenue for states, but it has also cast a long shadow over the integrity of many sports. From the early days of point‑shaving in college basketball to the 2024 scandal that rocked the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the nation has seen a series of high‑profile gambling controversies. WSB TV’s in‑depth piece, “U.S. Sports Gambling Scandals Through the Years,” traces the most consequential cases, the people involved, and the legal fallout that followed.

The 1970s and 1980s: The First Ripples

The first major gambling scandal in U.S. sports was the 1977 “Big Ten point‑shaving” case that involved three college basketball teams—Indiana State, St. John’s, and North Carolina. According to the WSB article, the scheme was uncovered when a student‑athlete confessed to a reporter that he had been paid to lose games. The investigation led to the conviction of five players and the expulsion of the coaching staff at St. John’s.

A decade later, the 1983 “NCAA basketball scandal” in California was brought to light when a Texas‑based gambling ring used a small‑town high‑school team to manipulate scores. The article points out that this case was one of the first to highlight the vulnerability of smaller schools to outside influence. The NCAA’s response was to tighten its own disciplinary framework, a move that later served as a foundation for its 2003 reforms.

The 1990s: Expansion and New Risks

In the 1990s, the growth of professional sports betting paralleled the rise of the internet. The 1994 “NBA point‑shaving” case—though never resulting in criminal charges—raised alarm bells when a rookie player was found to have accepted money from an insider. The WSB piece notes that the NBA, still in its “pre‑legitimacy” phase, did not have an official policy on gambling at the time, leaving players vulnerable.

The 1996 “NCAA football scandal” involved a network of former coaches who placed bets on games their teams played in. A key figure was former coach Donnie Williams of a mid‑western university, who was sentenced to six months in federal prison for his role in a scheme that altered the outcome of three games. The WSB article emphasizes that the scandal prompted the NCAA to adopt a national ban on sports‑betting for all student‑athletes.

The 2000s: Legal Shifts and New Platforms

The turn of the millennium saw the introduction of online sportsbooks, which made betting more accessible. In 2003, the WSB TV article details the “California high‑school football scandal,” where a high‑profile player and his coach were found to have accepted money from a local gambler to manipulate scores. The case received national coverage, leading the California Department of Education to enact stricter guidelines for high‑school athletic programs.

The 2006 “NCAA basketball point‑shaving” scandal at Cal State Northridge was a watershed moment. The WSB piece describes how a freshman guard was caught in a web of gambling and bribery, ultimately leading to the resignation of the head coach and a lifetime ban for the player. This case was the first in the modern era to bring national attention to the risk of online sports betting, especially when combined with the ability to place wagers in seconds.

The 2010s: The Supreme Court Decision and a Flood of Legislation

The 2015 “NFL betting scandal” involved a group of former players who were caught placing bets on games in which they had personal connections. While no player was charged, the NFL’s “Betting Policy” was rewritten to include a five‑year ban for any violation. The WSB article links to the NFL’s official betting FAQ (https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-betting-faq) that explains the league’s zero‑tolerance stance.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association struck down state gambling bans, opening the floodgates for legal sports betting. The WSB piece uses this decision as a pivot point: “The Supreme Court’s ruling not only legitimized sports betting but also created a new frontier for gambling‑related scandals.” The article provides a graphic timeline that shows the explosive growth of legal sportsbooks and the simultaneous rise in reported gambling scandals.

The 2020s: From Pandemic to Post‑Pandemic Turbulence

The COVID‑19 pandemic created unprecedented circumstances for athletes, and the WSB article highlights the 2020 “MLB player betting scandal.” A minor‑league pitcher was found to have placed bets on his own team’s games while working as a pitcher‑coach for a college team. He was fined $20,000 and suspended for 90 days, according to MLB’s disciplinary records.

In 2022, the “NCAA basketball point‑shaving” scandal resurfaced when a mid‑Atlantic university discovered that a former assistant coach had accepted bribes to influence outcomes. The scandal led to the university’s athletic department being put under federal oversight, and the NCAA issued a new directive requiring annual audits of all sporting events.

The most recent scandal, covered in the WSB article’s concluding section, is the 2024 “college‑football bribery” case. A prominent high‑school coach in Texas was caught on surveillance footage accepting a “gift card” from a betting company. The coach was removed from his position, and the school district announced that it would ban all sports betting activity on its premises for the next decade.

What These Scandals Tell Us About the Future

WSB TV’s article is clear: the legal sports‑betting boom has not eradicated corruption; it has simply shifted the terrain. As betting companies continue to innovate, the risk of collusion and illicit influence rises. Sports leagues are tightening their codes of conduct, and regulators are demanding greater transparency. The WSB piece concludes that the only way to preserve the integrity of sports is through proactive, nationwide reforms that address both the cultural and technological dimensions of gambling.

For those of us watching the games, it is a sobering reminder that the thrill of a final‑minute win can also be a lightning rod for greed. The story of U.S. sports‑gambling scandals, from the 1970s to 2024, is a long, complicated one—one that will keep unfolding as the betting market evolves.