Athletes, Coaches, Sports Gambling, and the Ethical Quandary America Has Entered

The NBA is in the midst of a gambling scandal, but I'm getting ahead of myself here. First, keep in mind how sports gambling used to only be legal in Nevada. Sure, it happened everywhere, but it was underground/secretive/mafia-related or simply little bets among friends outside of a relatively small radius. Then, it started expanding into other states, whether technically not being gambling, as with daily fantasy sports, or just straight-up legalized betting. That said, athletes would surely not get involved, however. They must've been paid enough and had the morals to never be involved in fixing their games. Right? Right? 

Then, in 2024, a little-known player named Jontay Porter became sloppy with his secret bets, got caught, and I wrote how he was, "The tip of the iceberg," for more trouble to come. Well, it is 2025, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones were all arrested last week as part of a lenghty FBI investigation into illegal gambling. The FBI was probing both illegal sports betting as well as fraudulent poker games with incredibly high stakes, and surprise, surprise, folks from professional sports were involved. Everything from fake injuries (for the basketball games) to hidden cameras and X-ray tables (for the poker hands) has been revealed--with assorted crime families/mafias involved too. It is a mess, and it is darkly hilarious how many people are saying, "I'm shocked!" I mean, really?

Let me express that I have zero issue with sports gambling for those with no involvement in a game from a moral standpoint. Missouri recently asked us to vote for or against it, and I marked, "Yes," on the ballot. If someone bets responsibly and doesn't have an addiction/problem, let them say a certain horse will win a race or their favorite team will win a game. I'm all for letting people do what they want, and I genuinely hope the tax dollars Missouri will get from the newly legalized sports gambling go to good use--it officially starts on December 1st. That said, I will never act surprised that there are people looking for a way to take advantage of a new opportunity to make money--regardless of how illegal or unethical it is. What did anyone think was going to happen with the meteoric rise of sports gambling?

A popular player who has made tons of money from winning big games and getting endorsements has little reason to risk their reputation and fortune on anything resembling sports betting, but someone who is barely known yet has the right connections could get some hefty paydays. Via your friends, you have bets made that you won't quite sink enough baskets, or will come up with fewer shots on goal in a hockey game than is thought should make. We think a player should work as hard as they can for their team and themselves, but a fake sprain in the first quarter, adding an extra ten grand or so to your pockets when you barely get much time on the court/field/rink as it is...that could be tempting for some.

We like to think of human beings as ethical and rational, and many of us are! The thing is, there are people who will take advantage of power. Whether power corrupted them or corrupt people seek power is a question for philosophers to spend arguing until the end of time, but the point remains that a lot of folks will take advantage of opportunities given to them, ethics, laws, or anything else that should stop them be damned. I want anyone playing any game to follow the rules and do their best. Whether you're a high school point guard, collegiate quarterback, in the NHL as a goalie, or engaging in a poker night with chums, cheating or fixing a game is wrong, obviously! Still, hearing people who shouldn't have been involved in sports gambling cheated surprises me as much as hearing about cases of insider trading, embezzling, or anything else. 

There will be those with the power to cheat who eagerly do so, we just have to hope that most people are ethical and do the right thing for no reason other than knowing it is simply the right thing! All of that said, feigning surprise to learn that some athletes and coaches could possibly be involved in illegal sports gambling is just silly. Cheaters are always gonna cheat; it is just the means of doing so that change.