• US authorities charged 20 individuals for rigging basketball games in NCAA and CBA.
• Charges include point shaving and bribery, affecting games from 2022 to 2025.
• 15 charged were former NCAA players, lured with bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000.
• The scheme targeted games at several universities across the U.S.
• The indictment follows increased scrutiny of gambling practices in basketball.

The U.S. authorities have charged 20 individuals, including 15 former college basketball players, in a widespread scheme to rig basketball games in both the NCAA and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The federal indictment, unsealed in Philadelphia, lays out serious allegations of conspiracies intended to manipulate game outcomes from September 2022 through February 2025, primarily through the practice of "point shaving," where the margin of victory is tampered with. This information was reported by Reuters, Al Jazeera, and SCMP.

The defendants targeted multiple collegiate programs, including renowned institutions such as Nicholls State University, Tulane University, and DePaul University. Players at various other universities, including Kennesaw State University and Alabama State University, were also implicated. According to the indictment, the individuals allegedly coordinated efforts to bribe athletes with payments ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game to influence the outcomes, as detailed by Reuters, Al Jazeera, and SCMP.

The indictment highlights growing concerns regarding the intersection of sports and gambling, especially since the Supreme Court's decision in 2018, which allowed states to legalize sports betting. This decision has led to increased scrutiny of sports integrity, particularly as the NCAA maintains strict policies against gambling involving its athletes. Authorities revealed that this case follows a broader trend of gambling scandals in sports, with Reuters, Al Jazeera, and SCMP reporting a rise in illegal gambling activities tied to the professional basketball leagues.