On June 29, 2025, reports emerged that federal investigators have launched an investigation into Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley, focusing on allegations of gambling on NBA games1. Beasley is just the latest subject in a string of athletes—both in the NBA and in other professional sports leagues—who have been accused of using their positions to capitalize on prop bets relating to themselves and their teammates. With online betting becoming increasingly commonplace, and sports betting cementing its role in professional athletics, the question of how to ensure the credibility of games remains largely unanswered.
Beasley is hardly the first pro athlete to be accused of using his insider knowledge to cash lucrative bets, but his story does provide a good deal of insight into how sports gambling has affected professional teams. The allegations surrounding Beasley revolve primarily around his 2023-2024 season, in which the shooting guard played in seventy-nine games for the Milwaukee Bucks. Per investigation by ESPN, sportsbooks detected a sudden increase in betting on Beasley in January of 2024, eventually prompting a federal investigation2.
Admittedly, Beasley has yet to be convicted of—or even charged with—any potential crime. As his attorney, Steve Harney, noted in an interview with ESPN, “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything”3. Still, the very fact that the veteran guard is under investigation is remarkable. Even if Beasley never sees charges filed, the investigation still signifies growing concern regarding the presumedly negative correlation between sports betting and league credibility. And Beasley is a relatively high-profile player; he appeared in all eighty-two of the Pistons’s games last year, averaging over sixteen points a game4. The sharpshooter is a key part of a Detroit team with a rising following and profile, indicating that an investigation into him may represent a greater willingness to crack down on insider sports betting.
In many ways, Beasley simply appears to be a microcosm of a changing sports world. He’s far from the only professional athlete who has become wrapped up in gambling scandals; in 2024, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was officially banned from the NBA after it was revealed that he had released private, confidential information to sports bettors5, and in 2022, former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for placing bets on the team, a violation of NFL policy. It’s an indication of a changing sports landscape, in which credibility and legitimacy are no longer a given.
Henry Bartholomew is a guest author who periodically contributes to the UB Law Sports & Entertainment Forum. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University at Buffalo School of Law or the UB Center for the Advancement of Sport.
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