Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged 26 individuals, including more than a dozen college basketball players, in connection with an international betting scheme that rigged NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) games. The scheme, which prosecutors described as an 'international criminal conspiracy', involved fixers recruiting players to underperform in exchange for payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
According to the indictment unsealed on Thursday, the fixers began with two CBA games in 2023 before moving on to NCAA games as recently as January 2025. The players charged include Simeon Cottle, Carlos Hart, Oumar Koureissi and Camian Shell, who played for their current teams in the last few days, although the allegations do not involve this season.
US Attorney David Metcalf said the case represents a 'significant corruption of the integrity of sports'. The charges include bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy. Of the defendants, 15 played for Division I NCAA schools during the 2024-25 season, while five others last played in the NCAA in the 2023-24 season. Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney, who played in the CBA in the 2022-23 season, was also charged.
Five defendants were described as fixers, including two who worked in basketball training and development, a former coach, a former NCAA player, and two gamblers and sports handicappers. In many instances, the defendants' wagers on fixed games were successful, with sportsbooks paying out winnings unaware of the manipulation. Other bettors lost money on bets they would not have placed had they known the games were fixed.
NCAA president Charlie Baker welcomed the charges, stating that 'protecting competition integrity is of the utmost importance'. He noted that the NCAA had already investigated many of the teams involved. The case follows a series of NCAA investigations that led to at least 10 players receiving lifetime bans for betting-related offences.
