Point Shaving In NBA, College Hoops May Be Worse Than Originally Thought

From now-former NBA player Jontay Porter and current Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to the active NCAA betting inquiry into Fresno State and Temple, basketball has been hit by more gambling/"match-fixing"/"point-shaving" accusations than any other sport since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018. 

Well, the gambling problems plaguing basketball could be worse than people realize, per a recent article by Sports Illustrated writers Michael Rosenberg and Pat Forde. Sports bettor Shane Hennen was arrested last month while trying to board a flight from Las Vegas to Colombia for organizing a wide-ranging point-shaving con in basketball "involving millions of dollars."

The U.S. Attorney's office accuses Hennen of attempting to flee the country before his January 15 deadline to enter a plea deal for the charges stemming from his match-fixing operation. Hennan's lawyer doesn't think the government's case would hold up in court. But, the U.S. Attorney's office says it has plenty of evidence to prove his guilt. 

Hennen is a career criminal with a rap sheet dating back to 2007. It includes a 30-month prison stint for selling cocaine, violating probation by leaving his home state of Pennsylvania, and multiple arrests while carrying $10,000+ in cash. Hennen moonlights as a tout selling picks on his website "SugarShaneWins.com," and flaunts a lavish, but allegedly, phony lifestyle. 

RELATED: Fresno State Basketball Players Being Investigated For Potential Illegal Gambling Activity

Not that it matters, because these sports betting integrity firms have a team of Sherlock Holmes's investigating suspicious gambling activity, but some of Hennen's college basketball wagers were reckless, to say the least. Hennen had six-figure bets on non-marquee games such as Buffalo vs. Toledo, which is a red flag in sportsbooks. 

Miami Heat's Terry Rozier is the latest NBA player being investigated for alleged point-shaving. (Photo credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)

With that in mind, legalization has led to more game-rigging scandals as well as cracking down by sports betting integrity firms. However, there is a chance this could've happened in the days when betting sports was illegal in America. It is being discovered now by these firms (not the authorities) put in place by states that legalized gambling. 

Unfortunately, as the SI report states, these basketball betting scandals aren't going anywhere. The U.S. government won't repeal legalized sports betting. And criminals won't stop committing crimes. Especially in this new world where sportsbooks flood the market with ads and mad new people are betting on sports. We have to let this run its course and hope the game results are legit. 

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