Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania unsealed an indictment charging 20 men in a large-scale point-shaving scheme that corrupted college basketball games and extended to overseas leagues.
Tom Winter on X (formerly Twitter): “BREAKING | NBC News: 20 people have been charged with rigging college basketball and Chinese Basketball Association games as result of a sweeping FBI investigation, according to a copy of a federal indictment just unsealed by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia. / X”
BREAKING | NBC News: 20 people have been charged with rigging college basketball and Chinese Basketball Association games as result of a sweeping FBI investigation, according to a copy of a federal indictment just unsealed by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia.
The scheme, which ran from September 2022 through February 2025, involved bribes to players who intentionally underperformed to manipulate point spreads for illegal sports betting profits. Authorities allege the group fixed or attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA Division I men’s basketball games, involving over 39 players from at least 17 teams.
The charged individuals include fixers, gamblers, and multiple current or former college players (with some reports noting 15–17 players among the defendants). Payments to cooperating athletes reportedly ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per manipulated game.
The indictment highlights the following schools as having games allegedly impacted by the scheme:
- Western Michigan University
- Butler
- St. John’s
- Tulane
- East Carolina
- McNeese State
- Nicholls State
- St. Louis University
- Duquesne
- La Salle
- Fordham
- SUNY Buffalo
- Kent State
- Ohio University
- Georgetown
- DePaul
The case builds on prior concerns about sports betting integrity following the legalization of wagering in many states. Charges include sports bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The FBI and prosecutors continue their probe, with potential additional charges or schools involved.
