Charges Filed Against Former NCAA Athletes Over Point-Shaving

It didn’t take long for the sports world to be rocked by another major betting scandal.

A federal indictment filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania charges 15 former NCAA men’s basketball players with point-fixing. The charges stem from an investigation into 39 players from 17 Division I schools, which the US Attorney’s office linked to 29 fixed games. 

According to the charges, the games in question took place during the league’s previous two seasons. Four of the players involved have been playing this year, but have not been linked to any additional point-shaving schemes.

"In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors, who were all unaware that the defendants had corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly, based on genuine competition and the best efforts of the players," the US Attorney’s indictment reads.

Below are the schools named in the indictment against the 15 players.

NCAA President Calls for CFTC to Suspend Predictions

Before news of the federal charges broke, NCAA President Charlie Baker had made a public plea over sports prediction markets.

Baker wrote a letter to the new Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Michael Selig, imploring him to suspend prediction markets. Fears over the impact it's having on college athletes and the integrity of their sports were among the two most significant issues he highlighted. 

"So-called prediction markets are offering what anyone can see is unregulated betting on college games," Baker shared in a speech after the letter was sent. "We need federal regulators to stabilize this market."

It was the second time in the last month that the NCAA president called for increased scrutiny of the prediction industry.

Unfortunately, Selig has been vocal about allowing the US legal system to determine the future of prediction markets. Given the strong support from the White House, it seems any relief for Baker and the NCAA will have to come from the courts.