Sports
Bribery Program
Our Sport Bribery Program has several facets.
First, the FBI’s Sports Presentation Program helps college
and professional sporting associations ensure the integrity of their
sporting events. FBI agents educate the athletes about gambling,
bribery, and drugs and explain how organized crime may attempt to
corrupt them. Agents also remind players of the enormous influence
they have on today’s youth as role models.
Second, we investigate violations of federal statutes concerning
gambling and corruption in the sports industry. The 1994 investigation
of the Arizona State University basketball program is a good example.
That March, the legal gaming industry noticed unprecedented heavy
betting on a basketball game between Arizona State University
and the University of Washington.
Typical betting on ASU games totaled about $50,000. According to
some estimates, betting on this game had reached over $1 million.
Some of the casinos and the Nevada Gaming Control Board took the
game off the boards at least briefly because of their suspicion.
The FBI in Phoenix eventually opened a case.
The investigation revealed that two ASU players were part of a scheme
to shave points for the benefit of La Cosa Nostra figures and other
individuals in four games:
- Against Oregon State on January 27, 1994. ASU was picked to
win by more than 14 points, and won by only six;
- Against the University of Oregon on January 29, in which ASU
was picked to win by 11.5 points, and again won by only six;
- Against Southern California on February 19, in which ASU was
picked to win by nine points, and lost by 12; and
- Against the University of Washington on March 5, in which ASU
was initially picked to win by 11 points, then three because of
heavy betting. ASU won by 18 after allegedly being told at halftime
they were under scrutiny.
We learned that one of the players involved had amassed $32,000
in gambling debts with a campus bookie. He was recruited to fix games
in exchange for wiping out gambling debts—plus he was given
$60,000. He recruited a second player who received $25,000 per game
to help.
Our investigation revealed that there were three different conspiracy
groups involved: one based in Chicago involving La Cosa Nostra associates
and members; one with ties to La Cosa Nostra in New Jersey; and a
separate group of campus bookies not affiliated with La Cosa Nostra.
Both players ultimately confessed, as did several other conspirators.
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