Six sports betting scandals that challenged integrity in pro sports

Sports and betting are two sides of the same coin – both built on skill, strategy, and even the occasional lucky break. But when they collide, sports betting might present a dangerous temptation, even for the athletes themselves. Some players have gambled it all – literally – and paid the price. 

From lifetime bans to hefty fines, these gambling scandals across traditional sports and esports show just how steep the consequences can be when athletes cross the line. Whether it’s betting on their own games, leaking insider info, or outright match-fixing, these cases are a stark reminder: in professional sports, the house always wins.

The sports world was rocked as former Toronto Raptor forward Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from NBA commissioner Adam Silver. An official investigation from the league found that Porter had violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, bet on NBA games himself, and even manipulated his own playing time to influence gambling outcomes. 

The most notable offence was on March 20, when Porter exited a game against the Sacramento Kings just three minutes in, citing illness. Prior to that, he had reportedly tipped off known bettors about his condition, setting the stage for massive payouts from under prop bets on his performance. His early exit tanked his stat line, well below what retail bookies and online betting sites had predicted, meaning huge payouts for those in the know. 

Porter’s case underscores the growing risks as sports betting and pro leagues continue to intertwine, and his actions not only cost him his career, but forced the league to rethink how to protect the sport’s integrity. 

The NFL is known for their steadfast approach regarding its rules around no sports betting, and in 2019, it handed down its first betting-related player ban in 35 years. Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw was suspended after being caught betting at a Las Vegas casino on several NFL games, including at least one Cardinals-Buccaneers game as part of a three-leg parlay, where he bet against his own team. 

Caesars Entertainment, which operated the sportsbook that took his bet, raised the red flag to Nevada Gaming Control, who then notified the league. The NFL launched an investigation and, while they confirmed Shaw didn’t use insider information or compromise any games, they emphasised that the violation alone was enough for a suspension. 

In a statement, Commissioner Roger Goodell stressed that players gambling on football undermines the integrity of the game and public trust in the league. “If you work in the NFL in any capacity, you may not bet on NFL football.” Shaw was reinstated by the NFL in 2021, but hasn’t played any games since. He broke the cardinal rule of the NFL: never bet on the sport you play. And he paid the price.

A gambling scandal that’s still unfolding comes directly from the Premier League, with Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá at the heart of it. He’s currently facing a potential lifetime ban from football after being charged in May 2024 with four counts of spot-fixing. 

The Football Association (FA) alleges that Paquetá intentionally sought yellow cards in matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds, and Bournemouth in 2022-23. These instances are allegedly linked to the betting activity of friends and family in Brazil. Around 60 bets were placed for relatively small stakes, all supposedly linked to his bookings. Paquetá denies all wrongdoing, stating he cooperated fully with the investigation. 

The fallout has already been severe. His wife called the ordeal a “nightmare”, and a potential £80 million move to Manchester City was scrapped due to the charges. If found guilty, Paquetá could be handed one of the harshest punishments in Premier League history. 

Sadly, some athletes can get too caught up in the sports betting scene, as seen in Sandro Tonali’s case. The Newcastle and Italy midfielder was hit with a 10-month ban back in 2023 for betting on football matches, including games involving his own team while at AC Milan in Serie A. 

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) found that Tonali had placed illegal bets, breaching the strict rules in place to protect the integrity of the sport. After admitting to the charges and cooperating fully with the authorities, Tonali agreed to a treatment plan for gambling addiction as part of his sanction. 

This ban had a ripple effect beyond his own career. The ban ruled him out of the 2024 Euros and sidelined him for most of Newcastle’s 2023/24 campaign, dealing a major blow to the Magpies after his £55 million signing. The scandal cast a shadow over the club’s ambitions in both the Premier League and Europe. In Italy, Tonali’s case also fueled calls for tighter enforcement of betting rules and more robust player education, especially among younger talents. The FIGC ramped up its anti-gambling outreach efforts while Serie A clubs began reviewing internal policies to prevent similar incidents from slipping through the cracks. 

As part of his punishment, Tonali was dealt a €20,000 fine and ordered to complete an education programme for eight months. This included 16 public appearances in Italy, where he had to educate younger players about the dangers of gambling.

Gambling also isn’t permitted in the pro esports space, as Lee “Life” Seung-Hyun found out the hard way. Once a young prodigy who walked the “Royal Road” to become the youngest Global StarCraft League (GSL) champion in history at just 15, Life’s rise was meteoric. But his career came crashing down just as fast, thanks to a match-fixing esports gambling-related scandal back in 2016. 

The games in question took place during the KeSPA Cup in 2015, where he intentionally threw matches against two players: Ha “Terminator” Jae-sang and Cho “Dream” Joong-hyuk. His payday from this was $62,000 – more than seven times the prize for actually winning the event. It was a bold gamble, but one that didn’t pay off for long. 

By April 2016, Life was formally charged with match-fixing. A few months later, he was hit with an 18-month prison sentence, a lifetime ban from all pro-StarCraft II and South Korean esports events, and a ₩70 million fine. Life’s fall from grace became one of esports’ biggest cautionary tales — a brutal reminder that in this industry, the stakes are real and the consequences can be permanent.

But esports gambling rules don’t just apply to the games players compete in – they extend across the entire industry in some cases. In 2024, Riot Games issued a formal warning to Team Heretics VALORANT pro benjyfishy for violating Article 3.15 of the Riot Games Esports Global Code of Conduct in 2024. Why? Because he placed a bet on the LoL Worlds Grand Final between T1 and BLG – a game entirely outside of the VALORANT scene. 

Riot’s policy is crystal clear: all professional players are strictly prohibited from betting on any of the publisher’s games, regardless of the title or league. Even crossing into another esport under Riot’s umbrella is a red flag.