"The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures, on charges of illegal sports betting, has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of professional sports gambling across the United States. Since widespread legalisation, the multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy to place wagers on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone."
"Fans can place wagers from their stadium seats, while Bet tickers scroll on TV sports broadcasts. Star athletes are frequently at the centre of promoting it all. In Thursday's indictment, federal investigators accused Rozier and other defendants of breaking the law by exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games. Rozier's lawyer, Jim Trusty, said in a statement that his client is not a gambler and looks forward to winning this fight."
"A separate indictment alleges Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and others participated in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games. Billups' lawyer, Chris Heywood, issued a statement denying the allegations, calling his client a man of integrity. Regulating sports wagering has proven to be a challenge and experts warn about the ramifications for gamblers who typically lose money. Professional leagues' own role in promoting gambling has raised eyebrows."
Federal indictments resulted in arrests of more than 30 people, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures, on charges of illegal sports betting. Investigators allege some defendants exploited private player information to win NBA wagers, while lawyers for Rozier and Chauncey Billups have denied the allegations and defended their clients. Since widespread legalisation, the multibillion-dollar sports-betting industry has made it easy to place wagers from cellphones or stadium seats, with Bet tickers on TV broadcasts and heavy advertising featuring star athletes. Regulation has proven challenging, experts warn about gamblers' typical losses. India's August ban on online gambling affected card games, poker and fantasy sports and followed official figures showing companies stripped $2.3bn annually from 450 million people.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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