
Key points:
- A federal investigation into illegal prop betting activity has led to six arrests
- Integrity Compliance 360 has investigated bets placed on recent Eastern Michigan game bets
Sources recently told ESPN that the gambling ring connected to the ongoing federal illegal sports wagering investigation within the NBA is linked to “unusual wagering activity” during college basketball games as well.
According to the ESPN report, sources said that “accounts connected to the gambling ring bet against North Carolina A&T, Mississippi Valley State and Eastern Michigan in games this season.”
A federal investigation into suspicious betting activities within the NBA is still underway. Six people have been arrested for their alleged connection to a sports betting scandal involving former NBA player Jontay Porter.
Prior to his dismissal from the NBA, Porter played center for the Toronto Raptors. The NBA began looking into prop bet abnormalities surrounding the player last spring.
Good to know: Porter pleaded guilty in the criminal case, resulting in a lifetime ban from the NBA
Recent reports show that DraftKings has flagged prop bets in two specific games. According to the report, these prop bets “involved Porter in its daily betting insights."
On January 26, DraftKings reported that “users betting the under on Porter three-pointers were the biggest moneymakers among all NBA player prop betting that day.”
DraftKings also noted that Porter prop betters walked away with large winnings on March 20.
Porter left the game early on both days, according to a CNN report. He logged only four minutes of play during the January 26 game and did not attempt any three-point shots.
During the March 20 game, Porter left the game early due to illness and played for three minutes. He did not score any points during the game. During normal gameplay, Porter averaged nearly 14 minutes on the court during the game.
Sports betting monitor Integrity Compliance 360 recently sent out an alert to its clients, informing them that “a bettor had attempted to place ‘their largest wager to date’ on Central Michigan to cover the spread in the first half of its home game against Eastern Michigan.
“While investigating, the operator also found two other high stakes wagers from two accounts in a different jurisdiction, both on Central Michigan 1st Half spread," according to the alert.
A spokesperson for the university reached out to ESPN via a media release and said, "We became aware of the matter on Wednesday and a review is underway.
"At this time, we do not know anything further about what may have precipitated the suspicious activity. We are working with the Mid-American Conference and will provide further details as we learn additional information."
In a media release sent to ESPN and other outlet, the NCAA said that it “takes sports betting very seriously” and is working with integrity monitoring services.
However, the association said that it “will not comment on current or potential investigations” because of “confidentiality rules put in place by NCAA member schools.”