Federal gambling investigation (Not UC)

[Lobot]

This landed late last night from From Pat Forde and company at SI. It centers around former college players Jontay Porter and Malik Beasley but looks like the ring involved is much bigger than what they're telling the public. Allegations of point shaving and game fixing going on here.

After the proliferation of sports gambling everywhere, it seems like something like this was bound to happen.

https://www.si.com/college-basketbal...ng-indictments

[D.A.H.]

while this has popped up in the past, in our current environment - nil, the house settlement, transfer portal, etc - its now one more nail in the coffin. I think a lot of people are getting less and less attached to college sports. I know that I'm there. at what point does it just collapse? people lose interest, ratings, attendance, etc fall. tv deals quit bailing out the top schools, the lower schools are already screwed. it used to be that college kids busted their *** to get a pro contract, before they quit caring and trying. now, they get nil and house settlement $$. do they give up at that point? anyone want to ask dan skilliings about that? college sports are now just another minor league. sorry for the rant.

[London 'Cat]

Minor league sports but being paid major league wages. It has to collapse eventually . . . .

[Lobot]

Minor league sports but being paid major league wages. It has to collapse eventually . . . .

The alternative is runaway "salaries" situation like the MLB has gotten themselves into.

[longtimefan]

This landed late last night from From Pat Forde and company at SI. It centers around former college players Jontay Porter and Malik Beasley but looks like the ring involved is much bigger than what they're telling the public. Allegations of point shaving and game fixing going on here.

After the proliferation of sports gambling everywhere, it seems like something like this was bound to happen.

https://www.si.com/college-basketbal...ng-indictments

Now it makes sense why the Big 12 is going to NFL style injury reports. If somebody in the program knows for certain who will or will not play, that information is worth a lot to gamblers. Big 12 doing this for the same reason the NFL does.

https://www.si.com/college/cincinnat...s-01k2jf7rbj9y

[bearcatbret]

while this has popped up in the past, in our current environment - nil, the house settlement, transfer portal, etc - its now one more nail in the coffin. I think a lot of people are getting less and less attached to college sports. I know that I'm there. at what point does it just collapse? people lose interest, ratings, attendance, etc fall. tv deals quit bailing out the top schools, the lower schools are already screwed. it used to be that college kids busted their *** to get a pro contract, before they quit caring and trying. now, they get nil and house settlement $$. do they give up at that point? anyone want to ask dan skilliings about that? college sports are now just another minor league. sorry for the rant.

Unfortunately, the SEC and B1G fans do not care because they rule the sports world. Well, most of their fans may not even know about the money world they live in. I know that working in Buckeye country for six years, the entire office of tosu fans did not know anything about TV deals or NIL deals. Now that I am back in Cincinnati where there are not many diehard fans in my group, they do not know any about the disparity in TV money. Most of us on here are more than a casual observer so all of this stuff bothers us. I am at least glad that we are now part of the Power 4 and hope that we make it through next round of TV contracts. I do really feel bad for conferences like the MAC.

[red_n_black_attack]

I'd like to see the professional leagues adopt rules to the effect that gambling/point shaving, or otherwise altering the course of the game for profit will result in a lifetime ban even if the gambling happened in high school or college. The NCAA is weakened to the point of being ineffective. The pro leagues do not want to draft or sign players with character issues or a history of gambling/taking money to alter a game. While it is highly unlikely any player caught cheating in this manner would be drafted, the threat of being on the permanently inelligible list would be a great help.

[bearcatbret]

More NBA indictments. College Basketball Great Linked To Gambling Scandal | Fanrecap.com

[Lobot]

Kerr Kriisa has been arrested by the FBI in a point shaving scandal. He is being extradited from Estonia to WV. I'll post more when I have it. No implications for UC at this point but cross your fingers

[swilsonsp4]

Kerr Kriisa has been arrested by the FBI in a point shaving scandal. He is being extradited from Estonia to WV. I'll post more when I have it. No implications for UC at this point but cross your fingers

While it seems likely that this is related to point shaving, the only reports thus far just call it a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. Neither the DOJ nor FBI have released anything definitive yet.

[GoBearcats31]

Kerr Kriisa has been arrested by the FBI in a point shaving scandal. He is being extradited from Estonia to WV. I'll post more when I have it. No implications for UC at this point but cross your fingers

Busy time for the UC compliance team

[GoBearcats31]

Kerr Kriisa has been arrested by the FBI in a point shaving scandal. He is being extradited from Estonia to WV. I'll post more when I have it. No implications for UC at this point but cross your fingers

Busy time for the UC compliance team

[Lobot]

I think that the optics here are not good for UC between Kriisa and Sorsby. We've now had two people roll through here in the same year that had issues at previous stops related to gambling. Both are accused of federal crimes (Sorsby allegedly committed wire fraud).

Even if UC did everything right compliance wise, you have to wonder about whether we appropriately vetted these guys before they got here or if anyone knew ahead of time at all. Bad look either way because we either knew about it, allowed their transfers and kept them in check while at UC or we didn't know about it and probably should have.

[swilsonsp4]

I think that the optics here are not good for UC between Kriisa and Sorsby. We've now had two people roll through here in the same year that had issues at previous stops related to gambling. Both are accused of federal crimes (Sorsby allegedly committed wire fraud).

Even if UC did everything right compliance wise, you have to wonder about whether we appropriately vetted these guys before they got here or if anyone knew ahead of time at all. Bad look either way because we either knew about it, allowed their transfers and kept them in check while at UC or we didn't know about it and probably should have.

Is the Department of Athletics supposed to research the gambling habits of hundreds of athletes when they're being recruited? There's no way to catch anyone who is hiding this activity, unless the legal authorities have investigated or companies such as ProhiBet have flagged someone.

[Lobot]

That's a valid question. And I don't really know the answer honestly.

I do have a question about ProhiBet. Do they strictly operate in Ohio or is it a national company?

I'm personally not a fan of sports gambling because of corruption issues like we're seeing recently but that's a whole different conversation. Absolutely everyone saw this kind of thing coming when Fanduel and DraftKings rolled out to the masses. That doesn't even include off-shores and the new prediction market sites like Kalshi and Polymarket.

ESPN will run with the Kriisa story and it'll be sponsored by ESPNBet