Malik Beasley gambling allegations highlight growing problem in professional sports

Once again, a professional athlete is at the center of a gambling investigation.

On Sunday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported federal authorities are investigating Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks. 

"An investigation is not a charge," Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, said, per Charania. "Malik is afforded the same right of presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now, he has not been charged with anything." 

Beasley, 28, isn't the first athlete to be connected with gambling. Players in multiple sports have been investigated for or charged with betting.

In 2023, Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games for "activities relating to sports wagering," according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

In April 2024, the NBA banned former Toronto Raptors guard Jontay Porter for betting on games, including at least one parlay where he bet on the Raptors losing. It marked the first time the NBA had banned a player for gambling in 70 years. Nearly two months later, former San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban for betting on the Pirates and other Major League Baseball games.

There's another ongoing investigation in the NBA, too. As part of the same probe that led to Porter's ban, the league is investigating Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier for "unusual betting patterns" in his play in a game a couple of years ago, according to ESPN.

Not all scandals have been as severe as those of Porter or Marcano, but many still resulted in significant penalties for players. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season when he played for the Atlanta Falcons and bet on their games.   

And sometimes it's not the athlete but someone in their inner circle who's gambling. Before the 2024 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara, the former Japanese interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, after discovering he had stolen from the designated hitter/pitcher to pay off gambling debts.

Of course, the leagues aren't going to back out of lucrative deals with sportsbooks, but they do need to stop this. It's a growing problem, and if they don't address it soon, it could threaten the integrity of their respective sports.