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Jun 3, 2024, 04:28 PM ET

On May 14, 2018, just after 10 a.m. ET, the United States Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, the federal statute that had restricted legal betting to primarily Nevada for 26 years.

It was a landmark decision for two of America’s favorite pastimes: sports and gambling.

States wasted little time launching — and taxing — legal sports betting markets, and professional leagues quickly formed partnerships with the bookmaking companies that would be taking bets on the games. Six years later, 39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legal betting markets, and bettors have already wagered more the $330 billion with the new state-sponsored sportsbooks. But as the betting has increased, so have the controversies that come from gambling.

In the past two years, dozens of professional and collegiate athletes and coaches have been suspended or fired for gambling violations, and at least one bettor has pleaded guilty to obstruction charges related to a college baseball betting scandal. In early 2024, a pair of investigations were launched involving suspicious betting on Temple men’s basketball and on prop wagers involving Toronto Raptors reserve center Jontay Porter. On Wednesday, the NBA banned Porter for life after its investigation revealed he had disclosed confidential information to bettors, limited his participation in at least one game while he was with Raptors and bet on NBA games while playing in the G League.

The gaming industry and sports leagues say the legal system is working, with the increased visibility of the betting that is taking place helping spot anomalies. But the incidents — including players betting on games they’re involved with — persist.

Meanwhile, the underground betting market that has existed in the U.S. since sports have existed continues to thrive, with unlicensed bookmakers offering credit and attracting some high-profile clientele who might be hoping for more anonymity. Ippei Mizuhara, former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, was fired in March for using such a bookie. Last week, Mizuhara turned himself in to authorities after prosecutors alleged he stole more than $16 million from Ohtani’s account.

California and Texas, the two largest states, have yet to legalize sports betting, so the U.S. market has plenty of room for growth, and there is no shortage of betting interest from the public. How big the American betting market gets is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the safest bet, though, is that there will be more controversies. — David Purdum

2018

May 14, 2018: Supreme Court strikes down federal prohibitions on sports gambling

The United States Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protections act — a 1992 law barring state-authorized sports gambling (Nevada had been primarily the only exception). The ruling, which ended a nearly six-year legal battle, opened the door for any state interested in legalizing sports gambling to do so.

2019

Nov. 29, 2019: NFL suspends Josh Shaw indefinitely

Josh Shaw was the first active player, though on injured reserve, to be suspended for betting on league games. He bet openly at a sportsbook in Las Vegas against his own team at the time, the Arizona Cardinals, as part of a parlay.

2020

Sept. 8, 2020: University of Colorado signs sponsorship deal with Denver-based PointsBet

The five-year deal between Colorado and PointsBet permitted the sports betting operator to display signs at Colorado’s football stadium and basketball arena as well as have ads on other media such as radio broadcasts.

2021

May 26, 2021: Capital One Arena in Washington becomes the first professional sports arena in the U.S. with a fully operational sportsbook

Monumental Sports, the owner of the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and Washington Capitals, agreed to a 10-year lease with William Hill Sportsbook.

Oct. 8, 2021: Sporting KC‘s Felipe Hernandez suspended for betting on MLS games

An independent investigation launched in July 2021 found Hernandez had engaged in “extensive and unlawful sports gambling” while a member of Sporting Kansas City, including gambling on MLS games. Hernandez had informed the team about his gambling on July 5, telling it he was worried about his personal safety because of the debts he had accumulated.

2022

March 7, 2022: NFL suspends Calvin Ridley for one year

Ridley, an Atlanta Falcons receiver at the time, was suspended for at least the entirety of the 2022 season after the NFL determined he had gambled on games during a five-day stretch in November 2021 while on the non-football injury list. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the stretch included multilegged parlay bets that included the Falcons to win. He was reinstated in March 2023.

Dec. 23, 2022: New York Jets WR coach Miles Austin suspended for one year

Miles Austin, the Jets’ wide receiver coach, was suspended for at least one year for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. The league had opened an investigation into Austin after finding out he was gambling on sports — not on NFL games or college football — which violates the NFL personnel gambling policy.

2023

Jan. 19, 2023: UFC tightens gambling rules, hires integrity firm amid investigations into suspicious gambling activity before fight

The UFC added stricter language about wagering in its fight code of conduct and hired U.S. Integrity, a sports wagering monitoring firm. The change stemmed from suspicious betting patterns related to a UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke.

March 29, 2023: University of Colorado and PointsBet end partnership three years early

Colorado and SportsBet announced in a joint statement it was “mutually beneficial” to end their partnership after nearly three years. One day prior, the American Gaming Association had released revised guidelines that advised against similar partnerships between sportsbooks and colleges.

April 21, 2023: Jameson Williams among five NFL players suspended for gambling

Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, safety C.J. Moore and Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were indefinitely suspended for betting on NFL games, while Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill were suspended for six games for mobile betting that occurred at the Lions’ Allen Park facility, though Williams and Berryhill did not bet on NFL games.

May 4, 2023: Alabama fires head baseball coach Brad Bohannon after link to suspicious bets

Ohio gambling regulators had initially halted betting on college baseball games involving Alabama after suspicious wagering activity was detected for its game against LSU. Federal prosecutors alleged Bert Neff, an Indiana businessman and youth baseball coach, communicated with Bohannon ahead of an Alabama-LSU baseball game and proceeded to bet against the Crimson Tide. Alabama fired Bohannon six days after the betting had been halted.

May 8, 2023: Start of Iowa-Iowa State gambling investigation

The University of Iowa and Iowa State University announce more than three dozen athletes — spanning baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, and wrestling — and one full-time Iowa athletic department employee were suspected of violating NCAA rules against gambling on sports.

June 29, 2023: NFL suspends four players (three for betting on their own team) for gambling violations

Indianapolis Colts‘ Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and Rashod Berry and free agent Demetrius Taylor were suspended by the NFL through at least the 2023 season for betting on NFL games in 2022. Rodgers, however, said that the bets he made were for other people, whom he declined to identify.

Read: Inside the NFL’s gambling policy and uptick in violations

Sept. 29, 2023: Jameson Williams reinstated after NFL tweaks gambling policy

The NFL modified its gambling policies to make it so players who bet on their own teams would be punished more harshly — a suspension of at least two years — and players who bet on any NFL games would be punished with a one-year suspension. Players who bet on non-NFL sports while at a team facility or on team-related travel would now receive a two-game suspension for a first violation, six games for a second and at least one year for a third.

Read: Amid gambling violations, NFL players debate betting policy

Oct 26, 2023: NHL player Shane Pinto suspended 41 games for gambling

It is unclear how Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto violated the NHL’s sports wagering policy, but Pinto did have an online gambling account in the U.S. that was flagged by an NHL integrity protection partner “because of unusual activity,” according to the Ottawa Sun.

Oct. 27, 2023: Two Korn Ferry Tour golfers suspended for sports betting

Vince India and Jake Staiano, golfers on the PGA Tour’s feeder tour, were suspended for three and six months, respectively, for placing bets on PGA Tour competitions. Neither wagered on tournaments in which they played.

2024

Jan. 25, 2024: Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte arrested over illegal betting at LSU

Louisiana State police said the charges against wide receiver Kayshon Boutte include a felony count of computer fraud and a misdemeanor count of gambling prohibited for persons under 21, but that there could be additional charges as the investigation was ongoing. Boutte allegedly used an alias to get around the age requirement for placing sports wagers in Louisiana while he placed bets from April 6, 2022, through May 7, 2023, while he was 20.

March 8, 2024: Temple reviews reports of unusual gambling activity

Watchdog company U.S. Integrity flagged at least one Temple men’s basketball game for unusual betting activity, prompting Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel, among other sportsbooks, to halt betting on the game.

March 12, 2024: Ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel given 6 ½ year prison sentence for fraud

Amit Patel pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million from the team. Patel stole the money over the course of 3½ years as he transferred approximately $20 million to FanDuel and $1 million to DraftKings, using the rest of the stolen money on various other expenditures.

March 20, 2024: Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, amid allegations of “massive theft” stemming from gambling debts

Ippei Mizuhara was fired after questions started to arise surrounding at least $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Shohei Ohtani‘s bank account to a bookmaking operation that is under federal investigation. A spokesman for Ohtani initially told ESPN that Ohtani had transferred the funds to cover Mizuhara’s gambling debt.

Read: Shohei Ohtani, his interpreter and wire transfers: A timeline

March 25, 2024: NBA eyes Raptors’ Jontay Porter for betting issues

Multiple sources told ESPN that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was being investigated by the NBA for making prop bets from games on Jan. 26 and March 20 involving himself.

March 27, 2024: NCAA president calls for ban on college prop bets

NCAA president Charlie Baker calls for ban on college prop bets. Baker said this is to protect “the integrity and competition” of the game as well as stop the harassment of student and professional athletes.

April 11, 2024: Federal prosecutors say Mizuhara stole more than $16 million from Ohtani

Federal authorities filed a complaint accusing Mizuhara of bank fraud in relation to allegations he stole money from Ohtani to cover his own gambling debts. The prosecutors said Ohtani is considered a victim in this case.

April 17, 2024: NBA bans Jontay Porter for life

The NBA announced its investigation found that “Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”

June 3, 2024: Padres Marcano faces potential lifetime ban

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano is facing a potential lifetime ban for betting on baseball. Major League Baseball received information that he wagered on games involving the Pirates when he was with them last season, sources confirmed to ESPN.

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

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November 15, 2025

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AD: USC wants long-term benefits of equity deal

In a letter to the USC fan base Friday, athletic director Jen Cohen addressed the school’s stance on the pending Big Ten private capital deal that could infuse the conference with up to $2.4 billion.

“As we continue to evaluate the merits of this proposal or any others, our University leadership remains aligned in our stance that our fiduciary obligation to the University of Southern California demands we thoroughly evaluate any deals that could impact our long-term value and flexibility, no matter the short-term benefit,” Cohen said in the letter.

The proposed deal would extend the league’s grant of rights an extra 10 years to 2046 and create a new business entity, Big Ten Enterprises, that would house all leaguewide media rights and sponsorship deals. Each school, as well as the league office, would get shares of ownership of Big Ten Enterprises, while an investment fund that is tied to the University of California pension system would receive a 10% stake in the new entity in exchange for an infusion of over $2 billion to conference athletic departments.

USC and Michigan are the two Big Ten schools that have pushed back on the deal, which has otherwise been supported by a majority of the programs in the conference, as well as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.

In a call last month between USC and Michigan trustees, sources told ESPN’s Dan Wetzel that both programs were skeptical of the deal and talked about how it does not address the root issue — soaring costs — that has made cash so imperative for athletic departments. Just providing short-term money, sources said, does not solve that issue.

The schools also noted pending federal legislation that makes predicting the future of college athletics difficult, as well as a general apprehension about selling equity in a university asset — the conference media rights.

Beyond the potential impact to long-term value and flexibility in exchange for a “short-term benefit” that Cohen suggested (an extension to the grant of rights to 2046 could limit conference expansion and the departure of any programs, for example), she also noted in her letter that the $2.4 billion would be “unevenly distributed” among the schools and “create a tiered revenue distribution system moving forward.”

According to reporting from Wetzel and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the exact equity amounts per school in Big Ten Enterprises are still being negotiated. There is expected to be a small gap in the percentage of the remaining equity among the schools that would favor the league’s biggest athletic brands, but it’s likely to be less than a percentage point. A tier system for initial payments is also expected, but with the lowest amount in the nine-figure range. Larger athletic departments could receive an amount above $150 million.

“We greatly value our membership in the Big Ten Conference and understand and respect the larger landscape,” Cohen said. “But we also recognize the power of the USC brand is far-reaching, deeply engaging, and incredibly valuable, and we will always fight first for what’s best for USC.”

The Big Ten is in the middle of a seven-year, $7 billion media rights package that runs through 2030. The money infusion is believed to be acutely needed at several Big Ten schools that are struggling to pay down debt on new construction and budgeting for direct revenue ($20.5 million this year and expected to rise annually) to athletes.

In a move that altered the college football landscape, USC left the Pac-12 and joined the Big Ten conference in 2024, alongside UCLA, Oregon and Washington, pushing the league to 18 members.

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‘Last Chance U’ coach Beam dies after being shot

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November 15, 2025

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'Last Chance U' coach Beam dies after being shot

  • Associated Press

Nov 14, 2025, 03:36 PM ET

OAKLAND, Calif. — Celebrated former football coach John Beam, who was featured in the Netflix series “Last Chance U” that showcased the connections he made with players others wouldn’t gamble on, has died after being shot on the college campus where he worked, the Oakland Police Department said Friday.

The suspect, who police say knew and targeted Beam, 66, has been arrested.

Beam’s death a day after he was shot at Laney College rattled the community with scores holding a vigil outside the hospital before he died and remembering him as someone who always tried to help anyone.

Oakland Assistant Chief James Beere said the suspect went on campus for a “specific reason” but did not elaborate on what that was. “This was a very targeted incident,” he said.

Beere did not say how Beam and the suspect knew each other but said the suspect was known to loiter around the Laney campus. The suspect had played football at a high school where Beam had worked but not at the time the coach was employed there.

The suspect was taken into custody without any altercation and a gun has been recovered, the assistant chief added. Charges were still pending.

Authorities credited technology, specifically cameras at the college campus, private residences and on public transit, in tracking the suspect identified as Cedric Irving Jr.

Irving was arrested without incident at a commuter rail station in Oakland just after 3 a.m. on Friday and police recovered the gun. He was being held at a local jail on charges of murder and carrying a concealed weapon, according to Alameda County’s inmate locator. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Irving’s brother, Samuael Irving, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was stunned to learn of the arrest and that his brother excelled academically and athletically in high school, where he ran track and played football. The brother said Cedric grew distant from the family in recent years after an argument with their father. Irving recently lost his job as a security guard after an altercation, his brother said, and then was evicted from his apartment.

“I hope it isn’t him,” Samuael Irving said quietly. “The Cedric I knew wasn’t capable of murder – but the way things had been going, I honestly don’t know.”

Police said the shooting happened Thursday before noon, and officers arrived to find Beam shot. Few other details were available. It was the second shooting in two days at a school in Oakland.

The Netflix docuseries focused on athletes at junior colleges striving to turn their lives around, and Beam’s Laney College Eagles starred in the 2020 season. Beam gambled on players nobody else wanted. He developed deep relationships with his players while fielding a team that regularly competed for championships.

Beam’s family said in a statement that he was a “loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, coach, mentor and friend.”

“Our hearts are full from the outpouring of love,” the family said, requesting privacy.

Piedmont Police Chief Fred Shavies, who previously served as a deputy chief in the Oakland Police Department, said he was a friend, mentee and longtime admirer of Beam.

“John was so much more than a coach,” he said. “He was a father figure to thousands of not only men but young women in our community.”

Shavies said that he met Beam when he was in the eighth grade and that he supported him after Shavies lost his father in high school, calling him “an absolutely incredible human being.” He asked how Beam left his mark on so many people “with just 24 hours in a day, right?”

Two of Beam’s former players — brothers Nahshon and Rejzohn Wright, now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints — posted on social media after the shooting.

“You mean the world to me,” Rejzohn Wright said in a post with a photo of Beam.

His brother shared a photo of the coach alongside a broken heart emoji.

Mayor Barbara Lee described Beam as a “giant” in the city who mentored thousands of young people, including her own nephew, and “gave Oakland’s youth their best chance” at success.

“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family,” Lee said.

Beam, who was serving as athletic director, joined Laney College in 2004 as a running backs coach and became head coach in 2012, winning two league titles. He retired from coaching in 2024 but stayed on at the school to shape its athletic programs. According to his biography on the college’s website, at least 20 of his players have gone on to the NFL.

Beam’s shooting came a day after a student was shot at Oakland’s Skyline High School. The student is in stable condition. Beam had previously worked at Skyline High School, and the suspect had played football there after Beam had already left for another job.

Lee said the back-to-back shootings on Oakland campuses demonstrate “the gun violence crisis playing out in real time.” She gave no indication that they were connected.

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

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November 15, 2025

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Belichick dispels Giants talk, reaffirms UNC focus

  • Andrea AdelsonNov 14, 2025, 09:05 PM ET

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    • ACC reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
    • Graduate of the University of Florida.

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said Friday he will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies after his name surfaced in connection with the vacant New York Giants job.

After the Giants fired Brian Daboll on Monday, Belichick became the subject of speculation around the opening. In a statement posted on Instagram, Belichick said, “Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”

Before coming to college coaching, Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL — winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.

But he won two Super Bowls with the Giants as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells in the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade.”

Belichick is in his first season with North Carolina, which has won two straight games to bring its record to 4-5. He was asked during his news conference Tuesday about the speculation concerning the Giants and he reiterated he was focused on Saturday’s game against Wake Forest.

The statement Friday also reiterated his commitment to North Carolina, saying that has not wavered.

“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud,” Belichick said.

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