Federal prosecutors in the United States have unveiled a sweeping investigation into a major international betting conspiracy, alleging that 26 individuals conspired to rig basketball games from the Chinese professional league to the American college level.
The Mechanics of a Multi-Million Pound Fraud
According to charges filed in a Philadelphia federal court on Thursday, 15 January 2026, the elaborate scheme operated on a simple but corrupt premise. A group of fixers, including gamblers and sports handicappers, allegedly recruited current and former college basketball players. They promised these athletes significant cash payments in exchange for deliberately underperforming during games.
Once a player agreed to "fix" a game, the conspirators would place large bets against that player's team. This fraudulent activity deceived both sportsbooks and unsuspecting bettors, generating what authorities described as "substantial proceeds" for the fixers.
Cash Payments and Cross-Country Drops
The method of payment was notably old-fashioned. Prosecutors state that after a game was successfully manipulated, fixers would hand-deliver cash bribes to the players involved. This logistical operation required fixers to fly into more than a dozen different states to meet players on their campuses or while teams were travelling between fixtures.
Payments to athletes typically ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per rigged game. In one striking example, authorities allege that fixers placed nearly $200,000 in bribe payments and shared winnings from two fixed Chinese Basketball Association games into a single player's storage locker located in Florida.
From China to College Campuses
The indictment reveals the scheme's origins and scope. It allegedly began in 2023 with the rigging of two games in the Chinese Basketball Association. Emboldened by their success there, the conspirators then turned their attention to the American NCAA.
Court documents cite at least 29 manipulated NCAA games, with the most recent occurring in January 2025. Among the 26 people charged are six alleged primary fixers. Prosecutors identified three with connections to players through coaching and training, two as gamblers, and one as former NBA player Antonio Blakeney.
Four charged players—Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Oumar Koureissi, and Camian Shell—have competed for their teams in recent days. The allegations against them, however, relate to the 2023-24 season, not the current campaign.
An Ongoing Probe Amidst Gambling Concerns
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf confirmed the investigation is continuing, noting the indictment suggests many other unnamed players had roles in the conspiracy but have not yet been charged. This scandal is the latest to shake the sports world following the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that triggered a rapid expansion of legal sports betting.
It follows a federal crackdown on illegal gambling linked to professional basketball, lifetime NCAA bans for at least 10 players for betting violations, and federal charges against two Major League Baseball players accused of accepting bribes to aid gamblers. The case underscores the persistent integrity challenges facing sport in an era of widespread legal wagering.
