illegal sports betting – FairOdds Network

February 28, 2025

State of the Union: College basketball black eyes, Brennan leaving Prime Sports, more

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.

Two college hoop teams investigated over gambling

Just over two weeks ahead of Selection Sunday, college basketball is getting more black eyes. Two universities have opened gambling investigations.

College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman tweeted on 26 February that the four University of New Orleans (UNO) players who have been benched since late January are now under investigation for gambling. In addition, on the West Coast, Fresno State sat out two players on 22 February in the midst of a gambling investigation.

The New Orleans men’s basketball team has held out four of its top five scorers since a Jan. 27 loss to UIW due to an investigation into sports gambling, sources told @TheFieldOf68.
Leading scorer James White (19.2 ppg), Jah Short (9.2 ppg), Dae Dae Hunter (8.2 ppg) and Jamond…
— Jeff Goodman (..

February 7, 2025

Mizuhara gets 57-month prison term; judge says he “undermined” himself

Former Shohei Ohtani Japanese-language interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced on Thursday (6 February) to 57 months in federal prison and three years of parole. He was also ordered to pay more than $18 million (£14.5 million/€17.3 million) in restitution after stealing from Ohtani to fund an illegal gambling habit.

US district judge John Holcomb said Mizuhara “undermined” himself with a letter he wrote to the court asking for an 18-month sentence. Holcomb said he gave the letter no weight because Mizuhara “misrepresented truths” and it “suffered from (missing) important facts”.

Mizuhara, who pleaded guilty to two federal counts in June, stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani for gambling debts. On Thursday he was sentenced in US District Court for the Central District of California. The maximum sentence for one count of bank fraud and one count of signing a fraudulent tax return was 33 years.

He asked for and was granted 45 days to report to begin his sentence in a Southern Califo..

January 24, 2025

State of the Union: Mizuhara sentencing postponed, Kalshi taking sports bets

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.

Mizuhara sentencing pushed to 6 February

Sentencing for former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was moved from today (24 January) to 6 February, a California US Attorney’s Office announced yesterday (23 January). Mizuhara in June pleaded guilty to stealing $17 million (£13.6 million/€16.1 million) from Ohtani for illegal sports betting. He faces up to 33 years in prison on counts of bank fraud and subscribing to a fraudulent tax return. Mizuhara will be sentenced by Judge John Holcomb in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

In a 29-pg memo, attorney Michael Freedman wrote that courts routinely “vary downward,” for gambling, adding that Ippei's addiction warrants a variance. He asked the Court to impose an 18-month sentence. A forensic psychologist also supports a downwa..

December 4, 2024

Former poker pro pleads guilty to selling fake wagering advice in New York court

Cory Zeidman, a 63-year-old former professional poker player, today (4 December) pleaded guilty to two counts of mail and wire fraud associated with an illegal gambling scheme. Zeidman faces up to 20 years in prison and $3.6 million (£2.8 million/€3.4 million) in restitution and fines.

According to court records, Zeidman led a fraud ring that sold betting tips via radio ads followed by high-pressure sales. The group used fake names and also purported to have inside information about “dirty” officials, “fixed” games and predetermined outcomes, according to a press release from the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York.

No sentencing date has been set.

Bettors were charged high fees for the service and were told that the information made wagering a low-risk proposition. According to the US attorney’s office, the information was made up or was public information found via internet searches.

“As alleged, Zeidman preyed on individuals who were led to believe he ha..

October 31, 2024

Bettor who stood to win $1 million in Jontay Porter betting scam pleads guilty

On Wednesday (30 October) Mahmud Mollah became the third person in the Jontay Porter sports betting scandal to plead guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.

Mollah is the gambler who placed bets that would have won $1 million (£776,609/€920,850) on the performance of then two-way NBA player Jontay Porter. Porter, who was playing for the Toronto Raptors on a 10-day contract, removed himself early from games on 26 January and 20 March so he and the gamblers could win “under” bets.

Earlier this month, NBA betting partners, including BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel, announced they would stop taking bets on the league’s lowest-paid players, according to The Athletic. No “under” bets will be available on two-way players or players on 10-day contracts. Porter was set to earn $56,000 from his short-term contract with the Raptors and the NBA believes these players are most at risk for being corrupted by bettors.

Mollah pleaded in the the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Port..

October 29, 2024

Jontay Porter effect could be just the beginning of banning bets

Major sportsbooks have done away with certain NBA player props and the potential ramifications go far beyond that.

Jontay Porter is unlikely to ever take the court for an NBA team again.

Still, this player with a career average of 11.2 minutes per game is a central figure in one of the league’s biggest storylines of the new season.

A number of national sportsbooks such as BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN Bet and FanDuel won’t be posting NBA player prop unders for those on 10-day or two-way contracts. The rationale? These players have less financial security than those under contract for the season. Because of that they could be enticed to purposely tank their performances.

Call this the Jontay Porter effect.

Porter did exactly this – exiting games early due to supposed injury or illness, ensuring under bets on his props would win – a season ago as a member of the Toronto Raptors. This scheme led him to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also banned for life f..

October 3, 2024

Jontay Porter co-conspirator pleads guilty

Former professional poker player Long Phi Pham, who conspired with ex-NBA player Jontay Porter and two others in a sports betting scam, on Wednesday (2 October) agreed to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Pham appeared in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He was released on a bond of $750,000 (£571,450/ €680,062) and will be sentenced 25 April 2025. Pham, Jontay Porter and two others were set to win more than $1m total after the Toronto Raptors player agreed to remove himself early from two games earlier this year. But DraftKings flagged the outsized player-prop bets, and an investigation ensued.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver in April banned Porter for life. Three months later, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July and is awaiting sentencing. Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 41-51 months in jail. Porter was released on $250,000 bond and his sentencing is set for 18 December.

Porter’s brother, ..

August 9, 2024

Bowyer pleads guilty; sentencing for US illegal bookie set for February

Mathew Bowyer, who ran an illegal bookmaking business for at least five years in California, pleaded guilty on Friday (9 August) to three federal charges. Bowyer had more than 700 customers, including former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Bowyer told Judge John W Holcomb, “I was running an illegal gambling operation, laundering money through other people’s bank accounts.” The hearing was held at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and US Courthouse in Santa Ana, California.

That is the same location at which Mizuhara pleaded guilty to stealing $17m from Ohtani to bet with Bowyer. Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison and is set to be sentenced in October.

Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison. Photo by Jill R Dorson
Holcomb set Bowyer’s sentencing for 7 February 2025. He faces a maximum of 18 years in prison and three years of probation. He could be fined $750,000 or two times the “gross gain or gross loss resulting from the of..

August 5, 2024

Bowyer allegedly had 700+ illegal betting customers, washed money through Las Vegas and California casinos

Court documents reveal that alleged illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer had more than 700 customers, washed money through multiple casinos and used Costa-Rican betting websites in his business.
On 1 August, Bowyer was charged on three counts. He is accused of running an illegal bookmaking scheme, laundering money and filing a false tax return. Bowyer, according to court documents, will plead guilty Friday before Judge John W Holcomb at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Santa Ana, California.

Bowyer’s business was based out of Orange and Los Angeles counties in California and Clark County in Las Vegas. Sports betting is illegal in California.

Bowyer faces a maximum sentence of 18 years in prison and three years of probation. He could be fined $750,000 or two times the “gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offences” – whichever is higher.

Mizuhara, two pro ballplayers linked to Bowyer
According to the court documents, it is unclear when Bowyer sta..

August 2, 2024

Mizuhara bookie Mathew Bowyer charged in illegal California wagering ring, set to plead guilty

Mathew Bowyer, an illegal bookmaker with deep connections to Las Vegas’ gambling scene, is set to plead guilty in a high-profile betting case involving a former interpreter for Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Bowyer is charged with multiple counts of illegal gambling activities. Among these charges are running an unlicensed sportsbook, filing a false tax return and money laundering. According to a US department of justice notice, federal prosecutors have outlined a case demonstrating that Bowyer facilitated and profited from a large-scale illegal sports betting ring, which implicated various figures in the sports world.

The illegal southern California wagering ring involved high-profile clients, including athletes and executives.

Most notable among those figures was Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. He pleaded guilty in June to bank fraud and filing a false tax return. He has to return to court in October for sentencing.

If convicted, Bowyer could face up ..

July 17, 2024

Judge denies Jontay Porter’s request for his passport so he can play pro ball in Greece

On Tuesday (16 July), banned NBA player Jontay Porter filed a motion to get his passport back before sentencing in an NBA sports betting scandal, so he can play basketball in Greece. A district court judge denied the motion.

The motion, filed by Porter in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, included four requests:

1. for Jontay Porter to get his passport back;

2. to travel to and around Europe;

3. to live in Patras, Greece; and

4. to play pro basketball in Patras, Greece.

Porter last week pleaded guilty to felony charges and admitted to being part of a gambling scandal in which he removed himself from two NBA games so others could win their bets. Four others have been charged in the scandal.

Porter is set to be sentenced in December. Federal prosecutors are recommending that he serve 41-51 months in prison. He’ll also have to pay more than $450,000 in fines and fees.

Porter was released on $250,000 bond put up by his wife and mother.

Jontay Porte..

July 10, 2024

Ex-NBA player Jontay Porter pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud

On Wednesday (10 July) former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter turned himself in to federal authorities and pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a sports betting scandal that involves four others. Porter entered his plea at the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Federal prosecutors recommended 41-51 months in prison and Porter will have to pay more than $450,000 in fines and fees. According to the New York Post, Porter was released on $250,000 bond put up by his wife and mother.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Porter from the league for life in April, several weeks after news broke that he may have violated league wagering rules. Porter tampered with two games so that his co-conspirators could win “under” prop bets. NBA players are allowed to gamble, but are forbidden from betting on basketball and from fixing games. Porter is the only NBA player to be banned or suspended for betting since PASPA was overturned in 2018.

According to a federal ..

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Tag: illegal sports betting