Attitudes on Sports activities Betting Bitter, NBA Scandal Worsen Opinions

• Public opinions concerning sports activities betting within the US proceed to worsen
• This week’s FBI information concerning allegations of sports activities betting collusion within the NBA gained’t assist issues

Latest polling means that extra Individuals at this time don’t have a constructive opinion concerning america’ fast embrace of sports activities betting, playing that unfold quickly throughout the nation following a landmark 2018 ruling by the Supreme Court docket. This week’s bombshell from the FBI, elevating dozens of allegations in opposition to NBA gamers and coaches conspiring with 4 organized crime households to defraud authorized sportsbooks and dupe unsuspecting poker gamers, will seemingly solely worsen these attitudes.

FBI Director Kash Patel pronounces two federal indictments in opposition to greater than 30 defendants for his or her alleged involvement in two separate unlawful poker and sports activities betting schemes the place odds had been rigged in New York on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. Latest polling suggests the general public’s opinion of authorized sports activities betting continues to worsen. (Picture: FBI New York)

Earlier this month, the Pew Analysis Heart mentioned current polling means that greater than 4 in 10 Individuals (43%) consider the legalization of sports activities betting has been a detriment to society. That’s up nearly 10% from comparable polling performed in 2022.

Sports activities betting, in some kind, is authorized in 39 states and Washington, DC.

Federal legislation enforcement this week alleged that NBA star Terry Rozier tipped off a pal who shared inside info with bettors for his or her monetary acquire. Rozier is accused of faking accidents and throwing video games to his conspirers’ profit.

Former NBA participant and coach Damon James is alleged to have participated in an identical scheme, tipping off bettors in regards to the standing of LeBron James in trade for $2,500 charges.

NBA Shortcomings

Most of the people’s souring opinion concerning sports activities betting leans towards youthful males. The Pew Analysis ballot discovered that just about half of younger males (47%) categorized as underneath 30 consider sports activities betting is a foul factor. That’s up considerably from simply 22% in 2022.

When the “huge 4” sports activities and the NCAA embraced authorized sports activities betting, the leagues ensured the general public that defending the integrity of their competitions could be paramount. The leagues and associations invested in third-party integrity displays to surveil betting markets for suspicious exercise.

This week’s FBI announcement highlights that no less than the NBA failed. To the authorized sports activities betting business’s credit score, the sportsbooks instantly detected suspicious wagering exercise concerning Rozier participant props as early as 2023. They notified the league, however the NBA decided there had been no wrongdoing.

In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to uncommon betting exercise associated to Terry Rozier’s efficiency in a recreation between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass mentioned in June 2025. “The league performed an investigation and didn’t discover a violation of NBA guidelines. We are actually conscious of an investigation by the US Legal professional’s Workplace for the Japanese District of New York associated to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”

On Thursday, the NBA tried to avoid wasting face.

“We’re within the technique of reviewing the federal indictments. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our recreation stays our high precedence,” a league assertion learn.

Rozier and Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who’s accused within the poker scheme, have each been positioned on rapid go away.

Trump Retaliation

President Donald Trump isn’t any fan of the NBA or its commissioner, Adam Silver. The president maintains that the league panders to China, taking particular points with Silver, former coach Greg Popovich, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Trump commented on Thursday’s NBA bombshell.

This worm NBA Commissioner Adam Silver needs to be introduced earlier than Congress instantly to testify. What did he know and when did he comprehend it in regards to the NBA playing scandal,” Trump wrote on social media.

Silver was the primary of the large 4 commissioners to embrace sports activities betting. In a 2014 op-ed in The New York Occasions, Silver known as for the legalization and regulation of sports activities betting.