The uneasy relationship between major American sports and illicit wagering stretches from the 1919 World Series to an active 2025 FBI probe involving NBA personnel. The following timeline highlights key incidents that have led to bans, suspensions and even prison time over the past 100-plus years.
NBA
1950 – Sol Levy: The referee was charged with seven counts of game fixing tied to the 1950-51 season. He received a three-year sentence in 1953, then won release on appeal the next year.
1951 – College point-shaving case: Players from seven schools were arrested for manipulating scores between 1947 and 1950. Former Kentucky stars Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, then with the Indianapolis Olympians, admitted taking bribes and were banned. Dale Barnstable, Gene Melchiorre, Bill Mann, Irwin Dambrot and Norm Mager also lost NBA opportunities.
1954 – Jack Molinas: The Fort Wayne Pistons rookie confessed to betting on his own team and was barred. Convicted in 1961 of bribing college players, he was sentenced to 10–15 years. The scandal touched Doug Moe, who rejected a payoff, and Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins, initially banned but later cleared.
1985-86 – John “Hot Rod” Williams: While at Tulane, Williams faced two trials on betting charges; the first ended in mistrial, the second in acquittal. He went on to a 13-year NBA career.
2007 – Tim Donaghy: The veteran referee resigned and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy counts after the FBI discovered he bet on games he officiated.
2024 – Jontay Porter: The Toronto Raptors two-way player was banned for sharing inside information with gamblers, deliberately underperforming and wagering on NBA contests in which he did not play.
2025 – Ongoing FBI investigation: Federal agents have linked a current player, a former player and a coach to alleged game fixing and Mafia-connected poker schemes.
NFL
1946 – Frank Filchock and Merle Hapes: The New York Giants quarterback and fullback were implicated in a bribe attempt before the NFL Championship Game. Hapes was suspended immediately; Filchock was punished afterward.
1963 – Paul Hornung and Alex Karras: The Green Bay halfback and Detroit defensive tackle each served one-year suspensions for betting on games.
1983 – Art Schlichter: The Baltimore Colts quarterback sat out a season for gambling, returned in 1984, played his final NFL snaps in 1985 and was later jailed for gambling-related crimes.
2019 – Josh Shaw: The Arizona Cardinals cornerback was barred while on injured reserve for betting on the NFL; reinstated in 2021, he never returned to the field.
2022 – Calvin Ridley: The Atlanta Falcons wide receiver was suspended for wagering during the 2021 season, reinstated in 2023 and now plays for the Tennessee Titans.
2022 – Miles Austin: The New York Jets receivers coach drew a suspension for betting on non-NFL sports; his current status is uncertain.
2023 – Multiple player violations: Detroit’s Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill served six-game bans, while Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore and Washington’s Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely. Cephus, Moore and Toney were reinstated in April 2024 but have not played since 2022. Williams is active; Berryhill is not.
2023 – Colts and Titans cases: Indianapolis’ Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry and free agent Demetrius Taylor received indefinite suspensions for NFL wagers; Tennessee tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere got six games for betting on other sports. Rodgers now plays for Minnesota; all three reinstated in April 2024.
2023 – Eyioma Uwazurike: The Denver Broncos defensive end was suspended for betting on NFL games during 2022, reinstated in August 2024 and is back with the team.
2024 – Amit Patel: The former Jacksonville Jaguars employee admitted stealing $22 million to cover gambling debts and was sentenced to 6½ years. Additional Florida charges are pending.
MLB
1920 – “Black Sox” fallout: Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven Chicago White Sox teammates received lifetime bans for fixing the 1919 World Series. MLB vacated the bans in 2025, noting the players are deceased.
1947 – Leo Durocher: The Brooklyn Dodgers manager missed the season for associating with gamblers.
1970 – Denny McLain: Detroit’s 31-game winner in 1968 was suspended part of the 1970 season over alleged bookmaking in 1967.
1989 – Pete Rose: Baseball’s hits leader accepted a lifetime ban for betting on the Cincinnati Reds while managing. The prohibition was lifted posthumously in 2025, making him Hall-eligible.
2024 – Tucupita Marcano: The San Diego Padres infielder was declared permanently ineligible after 387 baseball wagers, including 25 on Pittsburgh Pirates games while with that club.
2024 – Michael Kelly and three minor leaguers: The Oakland Athletics pitcher and the prospects received one-year bans for gambling; Kelly rejoined the A’s in June 2024.
February 2025 – Pat Hoberg: The former MLB umpire lost his appeal after being fired for violating gambling rules. Investigators found no baseball bets but said he shared wagering accounts and deleted evidence.
July 2025 – Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase: The Cleveland Guardians pitchers were placed on paid leave amid an inquiry into unusual prop bets on pitches thrown by Ortiz in two June games.
June 2025 – Ippei Mizuhara: Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter began a 57-month federal sentence for stealing nearly $17 million from the star and placing roughly 19,000 illegal bets, amassing more than $40 million in debt.
NHL
1946 – Babe Pratt: The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman missed nine games for wagering on hockey. The league warned future offenders would face lifetime bans.
1948 – Billy Taylor and Don Gallinger: Taylor received a lifetime ban and Gallinger an indefinite suspension for gambling. Both were reinstated in 1970 but never played again.
2006 – Rick Tocchet: The Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach pleaded guilty to funding a nationwide betting ring, received two years’ probation and returned to coaching in February 2008.
2023 – Shane Pinto: The Ottawa Senators forward was suspended 41 games for activities related to sports wagering; the league found no evidence he bet on NHL contests. He remains with Ottawa.
The incidents above demonstrate that no major U.S. professional league has avoided the reach of gambling scandals, and investigations continue into new allegations.
Source: ESPN
