Major Leagues Probe Betting Activity as Polls Show Widespread Fan Concerns Over Game Integrity

Each of the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL has investigated its personnel for suspicious betting activity in the past 12 months. Public polls reflect growing skepticism: an NBC News December survey found 70% of Americans believe betting lessens the integrity of the game, while a recent Ipsos poll showed nearly half concerned that games are rigged due to betting.

Lanny Brannock, a Kentucky-based sports bettor and podcast co-host, says, “It does take some of the joy out of watching the game. You’re not just watching it for the sheer athletic ability anymore because you’re financially involved.” He warned that losing fans who suspect predetermined outcomes or self-interested players “will hurt sports overall.”

Former ESPN executive John Kosner said the issue “is on everybody’s mind.” Author Jonathan D. Cohen, who wrote Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, described the nightmare scenario as one in which “people see professional sports as professional wrestling.”

The Rise of Monitoring Tools and Prop Betting Risks

Integrity Compliance 360, known as IC360, has become a key player in addressing these threats. In 2023 the firm signed a deal with UFC to identify suspicious bets. Dana White told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin in July that IC360 staff “are really good at seeing weird betting patterns, and they literally reach out to you and say, ‘Hey, there’s some goofy stuff going on with this fight.'” The company also launched ProhiBet in 2023, a product that securely transfers prohibited bettor lists from leagues to sportsbooks such as Caesars Sportsbook.

Yet prop betting on individual performances has driven recent scandals. Emmanuel Clase reportedly rigged pitches across three seasons and faces trial later this year. Terry Rozier allegedly faked an injury in 2023 to benefit “under” prop bettors and is scheduled for trial next year. Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA after betting on himself. These cases differ from earlier scandals involving final outcomes, such as those tied to Pete Rose, Tim Donaghy or the 1919 Black Sox.

The Long-Term Threat to Fandom

Cohen characterized the leagues’ embrace of betting revenue as a Faustian bargain that drives short-term media rights gains but risks converting fans into gamblers. Kosner noted that sports commissioners may want prop bets and same-game parlays “eliminated or really sort of buttoned up more vigorously.” While monitoring reduces some corruption risks, offshore sportsbooks and proxies remain avenues for circumvention. Leagues must decide whether current tools suffice to protect the live, unpredictable product that underpins their media value, or whether tighter structural limits on micro-event wagering are required before distrust deepens further.

Reporting: Sportico

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