Post by : Meena
Hassan
A comprehensive federal investigation has exposed a significant game-fixing operation within both the NCAA and the Chinese Basketball Association, leading to charges against 26 individuals, including numerous student-athletes, U.S. prosecutors announced. The fraudulent activity reportedly spanned as recently as the last season.
According to officials, the conspiracy involved gamblers who provided cash incentives to players for intentionally underperforming in games. Following these performances, the fixers would then place bets against the very teams that had been manipulated, thus misleading sportsbooks and other bettors.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf characterized the case as an “international criminal conspiracy,” highlighting a significant risk to the integrity of sports. He also indicated that additional players might have participated, hence the investigation continues.
This indictment surfaces amid a slew of gambling-related scandals in sports, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2018 that facilitated widespread legal sports betting in the United States. Past cases have resulted in lifetime bans for at least 10 NCAA players and federal indictments against professional baseball athletes involved in bribery.
The 26 defendants face a range of charges, including bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Among those charged, five were identified as “fixers”—three of whom had connections to players through coaching or training roles, and two classified as gamblers and sports handicappers.
The scheme reportedly originated with two Chinese Basketball Association games in 2023. Following early successes, the fixers expanded their efforts to NCAA games, targeting more than 39 players across 17 Division I men’s basketball teams while attempting to rig over 29 games. Millions were wagered as players typically received bribes between $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
NCAA President Charlie Baker reinforced the necessity of maintaining competitive integrity and confirmed that investigations are underway for nearly all teams implicated in the indictment. A total of over 40 schools were noted as being involved in the affected matches, including Tulane and DePaul University.
The operation primarily targeted significant conference games and playoffs, specifically within the Horizon League and Southland Conference championships. Players frequently enlisted teammates to help, consciously underperforming or preventing others from scoring. Failed attempts sometimes resulted in financial losses for the fixers.
Investigators found that fixers utilized texts to tempt players, sending images of cash as proof of payment. In one communication, a fixer urged a Saint Louis University player to persuade a teammate, stating, “send that to him if he bite he bite if he don’t so be it lol.” Another fixer proposed $3,000 per player to entice Eastern Michigan players into participating in rigged matches.
Typically, cash payments were delivered in person, although one fixer failed to compensate four Alabama State University players post a 2024 game against the University of Southern Mississippi.
Among the charged individuals are four active players—Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Oumar Koureissi, and Camian Shell—although the allegations pertain to the 2023-24 season. Fifteen defendants participated in NCAA Division I schools during the 2024-25 season, five during 2023-24, and former NBA player Antonio Blakeney played in the Chinese Basketball Association during the 2022-23 season.
Authorities indicated that nearly $200,000 in bribes and winnings from two manipulated CBA games were stored in Blakeney’s locker in Florida after the 2022-23 season. One fixer even reassured another via text, stating, “There are no guarantees in this world but death, taxes, and Chinese basketball.”
This case underscores ongoing worries about the ramifications of legalized sports betting and the extreme measures to which certain individuals will go to influence game outcomes, prompting continuous federal oversight and NCAA investigations.
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