gambling

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MLB Doesn't Ban Prop Bets, but There Are Now Limits

Sportsbooks to modify platforms to accommodate a $200 cap, no parlays involving micro bets

(Newser) - Major League Baseball is making a move in response to the rigged-pitch betting scandal involving at least two of its players, though it's more or less a half measure. On Monday, the league announced it will no longer allow micro-bets, a type of prop bet, on individual pitches to...

MLB Pitcher Out on Bail Amid Betting Scandal

Accused of rigging bets, Ortiz faces federal fraud charges

(Newser) - Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz walked out of federal court on Monday after posting a $500,000 bond—his freedom coming with strings attached, including a surrendered passport and restricted travel, as he awaits trial on charges that he and teammate Emmanuel Clase took bribes to fix MLB prop bets,...

A Pitch in the Dirt Illustrates an Alleged Betting Scheme

Cleveland's Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face lengthy prison sentences

(Newser) - Sports betting scandals seem to be surfacing more often these days, but the one involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers is one of the bigger ones. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz could go from the mound to prison—for more than 60 years—if convicted. They're not accused of throwing...

YouTube, Tax Changes Leave Poker Pros Reeling

Tax changes, online restrictions, and state bans threaten future of pro, amateur gamblers

(Newser) - The world of poker is suddenly under fire from all sides, with new tax rules, state bans, and a YouTube crackdown threatening the livelihoods of professional players and reshaping how fans watch and play the game. The pressure is coming from three main fronts: a last-minute tax change buried in...

NBA Chief on Scandal: 'Pit in My Stomach'

Adam Silver addresses arrests, indictments over gambling-related charges

(Newser) - In his first public comments since the arrests of Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday night that he was stunned by the indictments that have rocked the league . "My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,"...

Defendant Allegedly Leaked Inside Info on Lebron to Bettors

Damon Jones is among those implicated in FBI bust

(Newser) - LeBron James is not one of the NBA figures implicated in the FBI's gambling bust this week. One of the defendants, however, is accused of leaking inside information about an injury to James that paid off handsomely. How things allegedly played out:
  • In 2023, former NBA player Damon Jones—
...

One Factor in Gambling Bust: Bonkers High-Tech Cheating

Contact lens to read marked cards, rigged shuffling machines, and more

(Newser) - The dust is still settling on the FBI's surprise gambling bust this week , one that involves both NBA figures and the mafia. The agency outlined two overlapping investigations, one involving rigged poker games and the other sports betting. Some of the more sensational details:
  • The mob: Authorities say four
...

Indictments in Betting Case Involving NBA Surpass 30

Patel calls case 'the insider trading scandal for the NBA'

(Newser) - More than 30 people now have been indicted after a lengthy federal investigation into illegal sports betting operations. "This is the insider trading scandal for the NBA," FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday at a press conference. The case will shake up professional sports in the US after...

NBA Star, Coach Arrested in Federal Gambling Probe

Two related cases said to involve organized crime

(Newser) - An NBA coach, a star player, and a former player were arrested Thursday as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling, multiple outlets are reporting. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in Oregon as part of a gambling case said to involve the Mafia, per ESPN...

China Sentences 11 to Death in Crackdown on 'Scam Kingpins'

'Mafia-like' crime family responsible for deaths of those forced to work in scam centers

(Newser) - A Chinese court has handed down death sentences to 11 members of the Ming family, a group that authorities say helped transform a quiet Myanmar border town into a center for gambling, drugs, and large-scale scams, the BBC reports. According to Chinese state media, the decision comes after dozens...

Why NHL Games Suddenly Feel Like Casinos

Gambling ads are flooding sports broadcasts, especially for hockey

(Newser) - If this year's Stanley Cup finals seemed like one big sportsbook ad, you're not wrong. The hockey fans watching the six games between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers in June were hit with a gambling ad or logo as often as every 13 seconds, reports the Guardian ...

Florida Gambler Hits 389 Jackpots—in 1 Day

Maher O. scores big on slots at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, nabbing $1.8M

(Newser) - A Florida gambler stunned the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa by hitting an extraordinary 389 jackpots in a single day, walking away with more than $1.8 million. The lucky player, identified only as Maher O., apparently found the right slot machines at the right time,...

Former NBA Star Among 6 Charged in Illegal Poker Games

Gilbert Arenas hosted at his mansion, prosecutors say

(Newser) - Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday along with five other people, including a suspected member of an Israeli organized crime group, on suspicion of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games at a Los Angeles mansion owned by Arenas, federal prosecutors said. All six defendants are charged with one count...

'Big Beautiful Bill' Is a Big Problem for Poker Pros

'This is just a completely illogical bill. You're taxing people who lose money'

(Newser) - President Trump's recently signed "One Big Beautiful Bill" has sparked unease among professional poker players and gamblers, thanks to a little-noticed tweak buried in its 940 pages. The law, set to take effect next year, reduces the amount of gambling losses that can be deducted from winnings to...

Baseball's Dirty Secret Is Hiding in Plain Sight

The sport's latest gambling problem is especially difficult to spot

(Newser) - As legal sports betting booms across the US, the threats to game integrity are growing in number—but shrinking in size. A new form of corruption known as spot-fixing is quietly creeping into American sports. Unlike traditional match-fixing, it doesn't involve throwing games—it targets tiny moments like a...

MLB Pitcher's 5-Year-Old: 'Who Wants to Hurt Me?'

Major league players say online abuse, including death threats, is increasing

(Newser) - Soon after Lance McCullers Jr.'s family received online death threats following a tough start by the Houston Astros pitcher, his 5-year-old daughter, Ava, overheard his wife, Kara, talking on the phone about it. What followed was a painful conversation between McCullers and his little girl. "She asked...

Texas Lottery Boss Resigns Amid Investigation

This follows 2 controversial jackpot wins

(Newser) - The executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission abruptly resigned Monday amid doubts that the state-funded body can survive a scandal around two controversial lottery jackpots. In the first case , professional bettors were allowed to essentially rig the lottery in April 2023. A London-based trader representing professional bettors in Europe...

They Figured Out How to Scam the Texas Lottery—Legally

Zeljko Ranogajec, others figured out that if you buy up every number combination you can still make bank

(Newser) - If you forked over your hard-earned cash to play the lottery in Texas in the spring of 2023, you may be a little torqued at what you're about to read. The story out in the Wall Street Journal is about "the Joker"—aka John Wilson, formerly known...

Popular Gambling Influencer's Trick: He's Bad at Gambling

Slate profiles Vegas Matt, aka Matt Morrow, who makes a nice living by losing at the casinos

(Newser) - Among those who hold the unique job title of "gambling influencer," Matt Morrow is one of the more popular. The man better known as "Vegas Matt" has, for example, more than 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel . But as Luke Winkie explains at Slate , Morrow doesn'...

Cops: Casino Dealer Was Filching From the Pot

Former casino employee faces 14 felony counts

(Newser) - A poker dealer at a Cleveland casino stands accused of stealing from the pot on 14 different occasions over a one-month period. Jason Saliba, 51, faces 14 felony counts of violating casino gaming laws and one misdemeanor theft count, USA Today reports. Court records don't indicate how much the...

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