All Bets Off
Upon the arrest of several NBA figures last October, a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn described the multi-year illegal sports betting investigation as the largest takedown of an illicit gambling operation since 2018’s historic PASPA decision.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described the indictments of Terry Rozier and two former players as “deeply disturbing,” as the sports world digested allegations of match manipulation that threaten the integrity of professional sports. Two separate but tangential cases have also ensnared players from Division I college basketball and Major League Baseball.
In response, two of the world’s largest leagues, the NFL and the NBA, have issued policy proposals to respective clubs outlining remedial measures aimed at mitigating the risks of another major scandal. Moving forward, the leagues would like to enact durable guardrails against the spread of inside information, a core component of the 23-page indictment in Brooklyn.
For decades, dogged security teams have served as a valuable asset for the leagues in gambling investigations. Both leagues heavily relied on security personnel in matters involving referee Tim Donaghy and quarterback Art Schlichter, two of the most notorious sports betting cases in U.S. history. But as the leagues hope to minimize the PR hit from the more recent intertwined probes, the presence of the security officials could become integral in their fight to purge sports of nefarious betting activity.
Shortly after the PASPA ruling, former NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith spoke to Global Gaming Business about the new environment for legalized sports gambling across North America. At the time, Smith emphasized the leagues needed to establish a well-defined framework for protections against the dissemination of material non-public information. Smith likened it to a lengthy corporate manual on the pitfalls of insider trading.
Looking back, Smith’s comments could be characterized as extremely prophetic. In a November 2025 memo, the NFL reiterated that players could face lengthy suspensions for passing along inside information. The NBA, meanwhile, is exploring new measures to investigate anomalous betting activity. Every NBA team has an official dedicated to monitoring suspicions related to sports wagering.
The Brooklyn indictments were unsealed roughly two years after the NFL suspended nearly a dozen players for violations of the league’s sports gambling policies. By using geolocation surveillance technology, investigators determined that former Indianapolis Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers III made numerous wagers from the locker room. On one occasion, Rodgers admitted to placing a four-figure bet on a teammate to hit the “over” on a rushing-yard prop.
Later that summer, David Highhill of the NFL made an appearance at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States summer meeting in Denver. Although Highhill declined to field questions from reporters, he stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the game.
Beyond the Colts, the NFL suspended players from the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos over a six-month span. Yet not a single NFL team head of security spoke publicly on club investigative strategies for detecting player betting.
League security officials are notoriously tight-lipped, with their practices shrouded in secrecy. It comes as little surprise that hardly any team security execs have disclosed their practices following the recent cases.
Shortly after Highhill’s appearance, NFL intelligence analyst Jason Van’t Hof accepted a position with IC360, one of the world’s sports betting integrity monitors. Now director of global security operations at Fox Corporation, Van’t Hof told ESPN that the indictments could convince the leagues to take further action behind the scenes. When reached by GGB Magazine, Van’t Hof declined comment.
Last May, New York became the nation’s first state to enact a “bell-to-bell” ban to bar students from using smartphones in public schools. A similar ban preventing team personnel from accessing their phones inside sports arenas could curtail the dissemination of inside info. It also may be too draconian. At the 2025 NCLGS Winter Meeting in Puerto Rico, several state legislators discussed the scenario, but most described it as impractical.
“You’re dealing with someone in a classroom that’s under the control of a teacher versus an adult telling me that I can’t bring my own phone,” observed Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone III.
