Sports Bribery

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.