Federal investigators have launched a gambling-related probe into NBA star Malik Beasley of the Detroit Pistons.
ESPN reported June 29 that unnamed gambling industry sources had confirmed Beasley was being investigated by prosecutors over irregularities pertaining to NBA games and prop bets in the 2023-24 season.
Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks from July 2023 until July the following year, when he signed with the Pistons.
The sources said an unnamed but “prominent” United States-based sportsbook saw “unusually heavy betting interest” on Beasley’s statistics starting in early 2024.
Beasley’s legal team said that the shooting guard is yet to be charged with wrongdoings. The NBA, meanwhile, said it has spoken to federal prosecution officials.
Contract Talks On Hold For Beasley
The Pistons, meanwhile, declined to comment further on the allegations, although the franchise did admit that it was aware of the probe. The NBA spokesman Mike Bass was quoted as stating: “We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors’ investigation.”
Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney said: “An investigation is not a charge. Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the US Constitution. As of now, he has not been charged with anything.”
Haney also said he had spoken to prosecutors in the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York. This office, he said, is currently leading the investigation.
Beasley is currently a free agent. He was reportedly holding talks with the Pistons over a new three-year, $42 million deal. These talks, ESPN’s unnamed sources said, are now on hold.
The insiders claimed that sportsbook odds on an NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers on January 31, 2024, showed signs of irregularities.
Odds on Beasley recording less than 2.5 rebounds shifted significantly prior to the game. They shortened from around +120 to around -250 “due to a surge of action on the under,” the source said.
Beasley finished the game with six rebounds, the source explained.
Sports Gambling Controversies In NBA, Around The World
Beasley, born in Atlanta, Georgia, in November 1996, was first drafted to the NBA by the Denver Nuggets in 2016. He is not the only NBA player to be involved in a gambling investigation over recent years.
Last year, Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors received a lifetime ban from the league. This following an investigation that found Porter disclosed confidential information to other sports bettors for them to make wagers on games and prop bets.
Earlier this past NBA season, Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat was also under investigation due to unusual betting patterns connected to him for a March 2023 game when he was with the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier has not been charged with a crime and didn’t face any sanctions from the NBA.
Sports stars’ gambling-related activities have also been in the spotlight in Japan in recent weeks. Last week, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors’ Office decided not to indict Rui Okoye and Daiki Masuda of the Japanese pro baseball team Yomiuri Giants.
The duo had admitted to using their smartphones to gamble on online casinos. The country’s strict gambling rules forbid all forms of online betting.