NBA Player Malik Beasley Pleads Guilty in Gambling Scandal

2 days ago 0

NBA player Malik Beasley is set to plead guilty on December 9 to charges related to illegal sports gambling. His attorney confirmed this to various news outlets.

Beasley, 29, faced accusations of manipulating his gameplay in 2024 to benefit sports bettors and clear personal debts. In July, he initially entered a not guilty plea in federal court in New York. This was part of a wide-reaching federal investigation into gambling that has involved over three dozen arrests.

Alongside Beasley, sports agent Paolo Zamorano was charged and pleaded not guilty. Their indictment, made public this summer, implicated six people in the scandal.

“Malik Beasley manipulated his play… to gain advantages for bettors,” said the indictment.

Beasley, while with the Milwaukee Bucks, was accused of underperforming or overperforming expectations in at least four games in exchange for bribes from bettors. This also helped reduce or eliminate his debts to Ed Davis, a former teammate. Beasley reportedly borrowed significant sums from Davis due to mounting gambling losses, leading to financial disputes with a Detroit landlord, a Milwaukee barber, and a Minnesota dentist.

The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, and money laundering.

Following his time with the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 season, Beasley notched an average of 16 points per game. He scored 20 points in his final game, a playoff loss to the New York Knicks.

The scandal has shaken the NBA, involving figures like Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones. Jones became the first in the controversy to plead guilty, admitting conspiracy to defraud betting companies using insider information. The mentioned prospect involved a “prominent” Los Angeles Lakers player, speculated to be LeBron James, who didn’t play a game due to an injury.

In addition, Jones allegedly shared details about another top Lakers player, believed to be Anthony Davis, which dealt with an injury that supposedly impacted his game. However, Davis performed well, and the Lakers secured a win.

Terry Rozier faced allegations of excluding himself from a game, allowing bettors to benefit from his “under” props. Meanwhile, Jontay Porter is serving time for his involvement in illegal gambling activities.