In 1920, a Chicago grand jury indicted eight members of the Chicago White Sox on charges of fixing the 1919 World Series, an event that became notorious as the “Black Sox Scandal.” White Sox owner Charles Comiskey immediately suspended the eight players, including “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. A year later, they were permanently banned by newly appointed baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Although a jury returned a not guilty verdict on all charges, their ban from baseball stood until they were reinstated by Commissioner Rob Manfred in May 2025.
In 1946, Hockey Hall of Famer Babe Pratt was suspended for gambling but was reinstated weeks later. The NHL Board of Governors issued a warning that any further gambling incidents would lead to a lifetime suspension.
Two years later, in 1948, Billy Taylor and Don Gallinger received lifetime bans from the NHL for betting on hockey games.
In 1951, a major scandal erupted when 35 active and former players were accused of fixing at least 86 games spanning from 1947 to 1951. Among those implicated were four members of the Adolph Rupp-coached Kentucky Wildcats, accused of taking bribes from gamblers ahead of an NIT game against Loyola during the 1948-49 season. An NCAA investigation uncovered several violations, ultimately leading to the cancellation of Kentucky’s 1952-53 season.
The 1980 “Totonero” match-fixing scandal in Italian soccer resulted in the relegation of two teams and penalties for five others. Notably, Paolo Rossi was banned for two years due to his involvement while playing for Perugia.
In 1981, former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn and four others, including New York mobster Jimmy Burke, were convicted for conspiring to fix basketball games during the 1978-79 season.
Tulane University suspended its basketball program in 1985 amid point-shaving and other allegations. The program resumed play in the 1989-90 season.
Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader with 4,256 hits, agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an MLB investigation found he bet on the Cincinnati Reds between 1985 and 1987 while serving as player and manager. Rose died in 2024 still ineligible for induction into Cooperstown, but in May 2025, Commissioner Rob Manfred changed MLB’s eligibility rules, clearing the path for Rose’s Hall of Fame consideration.
In 1996, thirteen Boston College football players were suspended for gambling, including two who bet against their own team in a 45-17 loss to Syracuse. Coach Dan Henning resigned after alerting school officials about the betting allegations. No evidence of point-shaving was found.
Philadelphia Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was placed on two years of probation in 2007 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and promoting gambling while serving as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes. He was reinstated by the NHL the following year. The investigation, known as “Operation Slapshot,” also implicated several players, Wayne Gretzky’s wife Janet Jones, and Gretzky’s former agent and then-Coyotes GM Michael Barnett.
In 2008, NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to wire fraud for transmitting inside betting information in exchange for thousands of dollars. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Former Wales men’s rugby captain Rob Howley was suspended for 18 months in 2019 after it was revealed he made 363 bets, including on Wales’ Six Nations Grand Slam decider against Ireland. He was sent home on the eve of the Rugby World Cup where he was an assistant coach.
England defender Kieran Trippier was banned for 10 weeks in 2021 after providing insider information on his transfer to friends who then bet on the outcome.
At least 15 NFL players have been suspended for gambling violations since 1963. The earliest included Hall of Famers Paul Hornung and Alex Karras, who were suspended for betting on league games. Since 2022, at least 12 players have faced suspensions for betting. Notably, Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was banned for an entire season for betting on NFL games while away from the team for mental health reasons. Indianapolis Colts players Isaiah Rodgers Sr., Rashod Berry, and Demetrius Taylor were suspended indefinitely and released for betting on NFL games but were eventually reinstated.
In May 2023, Brazil’s lower house of Congress launched an investigation into a soccer match-fixing scandal involving players who allegedly secured bookings and penalties in exchange for bribes. This marked the third such probe in the country.
Six-time major champion golfer Phil Mickelson was alleged in 2023 to have wagered more than $1 billion over three decades, according to a book by gambler Billy Walters. Walters also claimed Mickelson intended to place a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup, which Mickelson denied, though he acknowledged his gambling crossed the line into addiction and has since stopped.
In 2023, soccer players Ivan Toney (Brentford), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), and Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus) all served gambling bans. Fagioli received a seven-month ban from the Italian Soccer Federation, while Tonali was banned for 10 months the previous year for betting on teams he played for.
The NHL suspended Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto for 41 games in October 2023 due to sports gambling violations. The league clarified there was no evidence Pinto bet on hockey games. Pinto declined to comment when rejoining the Senators in January 2024.
In March 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara, interpreter and close friend of star Shohei Ohtani, after reports surfaced of Mizuhara’s ties to an illegal bookmaker. Three months later, Mizuhara pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s account to cover gambling debts, baseball card purchases, and medical bills. He exploited language barriers to deceive Ohtani’s financial advisers and even impersonated Ohtani to the bank.
Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA in April 2024 following a league probe that found he disclosed confidential health information to sports bettors and wagered on games, including bets against his own team. Commissioner Adam Silver described Porter’s actions as “blatant.” The investigation uncovered a large $80,000 bet linked to Porter’s performance in a March 20 game against Sacramento, which could have paid out $1.1 million.
In June 2024, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano became the first active MLB player banned for life in over a century after being discovered to have placed 387 bets totaling more than $150,000 with a legal sportsbook in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly received a one-year suspension for baseball betting in the minor leagues. Three other minor leaguers—San Diego’s Jay Groome, Arizona’s Andrew Saalfrank, and Philadelphia’s José Rodríguez—also received one-year bans for betting on major league games, each wagering less than $1,000. Saalfrank and Rodríguez had prior major league experience.
In February 2025, MLB umpire Pat Hoberg was fired for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball and for deleting electronic messages relevant to the league’s investigation. While no evidence showed Hoberg personally bet on games or manipulated outcomes, his friend made 141 baseball bets, including eight involving games Hoberg umpired. MLB senior vice president Michael Hill recommended the firing, with Commissioner Manfred upholding the decision. Hoberg, known as one of the best strike zone umpires, is eligible to apply for reinstatement no earlier than spring training 2026.
In June and July 2025, MLB placed Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on paid leave amid a sports betting investigation. Ortiz was linked to unusual betting activity on specific pitches during games in Seattle and St. Louis. Clase was placed on leave three weeks later. On November 9, both were indicted on charges of accepting bribes to provide bettors with advance notice of pitch types and intentionally throwing balls instead of strikes to influence bets.
The NCAA announced in September 2025 it was investigating possible sports betting violations involving 13 former men’s basketball players from Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T, and Mississippi Valley. By November, six players had their eligibility revoked. The NCAA’s integrity monitoring and sources flagged suspicious text and social media messages revealing betting on and against their own teams, sharing information with bettors, outcome manipulation, and refusal to cooperate. In related cases, three players from Fresno State and San Jose State were found guilty of manipulating game outcomes and permanently lost eligibility.
In October 2025, a major gambling scandal unfolded involving 31 individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and coach Damon Jones. Billups, the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, was charged with conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games connected to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families, resulting in at least $7 million in losses to unsuspecting gamblers. Rozier faced separate charges related to exploiting private player information to win NBA bets, alongside money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Damon Jones was implicated in both schemes and has pleaded not guilty.
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