College basketball players among 26 charged in 'international criminal' betting scheme

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Clean Carac

Two dozen individuals, including a dozen college basketball players, are facing charges in connection with an international betting scheme that aimed to rig games and defraud sportsbooks. The alleged "fixers" promised top players large sums of money, up to $30,000 per game, if they intentionally underperformed on the court, only for them to place huge bets against those teams' chances.

According to authorities, the scheme began in China last year but eventually spread to the US college basketball circuit as recently as January 2025. The alleged fixers used various tactics to recruit players, including offering them large sums of money and promises of favorable treatment.

Among the charged players are several current Division I NCAA school basketball players who played for their teams just days ago, although the allegations against them do not involve this season's games. Five other defendants were described as former players themselves, with one even having a background in coaching.

The scope of the scheme is described by US Attorney David Metcalf as an "international criminal conspiracy" that has tainted the integrity of sports. The NCAA has been actively investigating allegations of match-fixing and betting scandals, resulting in dozens of players receiving lifetime bans for their involvement in such schemes.

As concerns about betting and college sports continue to grow, with several states having legalized some form of sports wagering, the NCAA remains committed to protecting competition integrity. The latest indictment highlights the ongoing threat posed by unscrupulous individuals seeking to exploit vulnerable athletes for financial gain.

The impact on sportsbooks has been significant, with many losing money on wagers that were likely fixed by the alleged fixers. Meanwhile, other bettors unaware of the scheme lost out entirely, further underscoring the need for greater vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies, regulators, and the sports industry to combat match-fixing and betting scandals.

The case has drawn comparisons with previous scandals in college basketball, where numerous players have faced disciplinary action for their involvement in betting schemes. The charges brought today are just the latest chapter in a saga that continues to unfold with alarming regularity.
 
🤔 this is crazy how they got away with it for so long, i mean, $30k per game? 🤑 what kind of players would do that? 🤷‍♂️ and now these college kids are facing charges, lifetime bans... sad 😔 ncaa needs to step up its game, keep an eye on these sportsbooks and make sure they're not getting ripped off 🚫
 
🤦‍♂️ I mean, come on, 30k dollars per game? That's insane! 🤑 It's like they're not even trying to hide it anymore. And now they're facing charges and all that jazz... 🚔 Well, about time someone took them down a peg. The NCAA has been saying something about this for ages, but finally, some actual action is being taken. 💪

And can we talk about how these players were recruited? Like, "Hey, you're on the team, and I'll give you 30k if you tank"? 🤦‍♂️ Give me a break! These guys are supposed to be professionals, not pawns in some betting scheme. And now they're getting banned for life because of it... 😒

I'm all for protecting competition integrity and whatnot, but let's get real here - the sports industry is basically a big ol' dirty pool, and sometimes you gotta shake things up to get people to pay attention. 💥
 
OMG 🤯 I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing! So basically, people are getting paid to tank games or something? Like, can you imagine playing basketball and knowing someone's gonna be betting against you just because of it? 😂 It's crazy that they're using college players for this stuff. Like, what if the game was a close one and they had to make that last shot? 🤦‍♂️ And how did people not notice anything was fishy about these guys getting all that cash? 🤑 The NCAA is like, "We've got your back" but it's still super sad when players get caught up in this stuff. I don't know, maybe I'm just an idiot but it seems like a lot of money is being lost because of this whole thing... 💸
 
Ugh, this is so messed up 🤕... Can you believe some of these athletes were literally getting paid to tank games? Like, what's the point of even playing if it's all about the benjamins? And the NCAA is only just now taking action, meanwhile all these other players are getting lifetime bans... It's like they're trying to sweep this under the rug 🧹. The sportsbooks are losing out too, and the whole system is just so corrupt 😒. This is why we need stricter regulations on betting in college sports, it's just not fair to the honest athletes who are actually trying to compete 💔.
 
omg what's going on with college hoops?! 🤯 these guys are basically getting paid to tank games? like, i remember when i was in high school and we had a rival team come over and we'd totally get destroyed just to give them a chance to practice their free throws 🏀👎

and now they're saying it started in china?! like, what's next?! are they gonna say the whole NBA is rigged too? 😂 i mean i know sportsbooks make money off of these games but come on, can't we trust the athletes to play fair?

i'm just glad the ncaa is stepping up and trying to clean house. it's about time someone took a closer look at all this betting shenanigans 🤝
 
I'm really worried about these young athletes getting manipulated into ruining their careers and integrity for some dirty cash 🤑🏀. It's not just about them, it's also about the fans who deserve honest competition. I think we need more support systems in place to help these kids recognize when something doesn't feel right, you know? They're often under so much pressure already, and then they get offered a quick fix that sounds too good to be true 💸. We need to work together as a community to keep sports clean and fair 🌟.
 
omg 😱 this is just wild!!! how can someone get so greedy and try to ruin the game they love? i mean, $30k per game is insane! 🤑 it's like, can't these people just be happy playing ball for their school or whatever? instead of getting all caught up in the money 💸. i feel bad for the innocent players who got sucked into this scheme and now face charges. hopefully they'll get a fair shake and can move on from this. 🤞
 
🚨 this is so messed up 🤯 like how can ppl be so low to manipulate & use talented athletes 4 personal gain? it's not just about the money, it's about ruining the integrity of sports & damaging the trust of fans everywhere...ncaa needs 2 step up its game & make sure these schemes r thoroughly investigated & punished 💪
 
man this is crazy 🤯 like what's going on in college hoops? these guys are literally getting paid off to tank games? and now 24 people are facing charges? it's wild how deep the scheme went from China all the way to the US 🌎 i'm surprised more players didn't get caught up in this. the NCAA needs to step up its game and make sure these betting schemes don't ruin the integrity of the sport once and for all 💪
 
I'm telling you, it's like they're creating these situations just so we'll think innovation is needed 🤔. International betting scheme? College basketball players taking money to throw games? It's just common sense to suspect something's up when the payout is that high 💸. And now, suddenly, the NCAA needs a whole team effort to 'protect competition integrity'? Give me a break... it's been like this for years and they've still managed to catch these guys 🙄. Just wait until sports betting gets legit and we'll see how many more scandals pop up 💥
 
🙄 Can't believe it's come to this – college hoops is basically a pay-to-play racket already 🤑. And now we're finding out some of these players were getting paid off left and right by shady fixers? What a shock 🤷‍♂️. The NCAA really needs to step up its game (pun intended) if it wants to keep the integrity of sports intact... or at least try not to look like a bunch of slowpokes in the face of obvious corruption 😒. And what's with the "international criminal conspiracy" moniker? Sounds like something out of a spy novel 📚. Anyway, glad some folks are finally getting pinched – hopefully it sends a message that this kind of thing won't be tolerated anymore 💪.
 
man... this is wild 🤯 like how can you get away with rigging games and making bank from it? $30k per game? that's insane 💸 and what's crazy is they were targeting top players, the ones who are supposed to be representing their teams and universities with integrity 🤕 it's not just about the money, it's about the impact on the game itself. I feel bad for the innocent players who got caught up in this mess 🤦‍♂️ and the NCAA is right to take action, but at the same time, we gotta keep an eye out for these scammers and make sure they don't get away with it 🔒
 
omg u can't believe what's goin on in college hoops right now 🤯 these fixers were offerin like 30k per game to influence games lol who needs that kinda cash anyway? its all about the integrity of the game, but i guess money talks, right? 💸 i feel bad for the players involved tho, they got caught up in somethin they didn't sign up for. the ncaa's gotta keep doin their thing protectin the sport from these scammers. sportsbooks are losin a ton too, so i guess its a win-win 🤑 we just gotta hope more people stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity 👀
 
🤔 This whole thing is just mind-blowing... I mean, who would've thought that some of these college basketball stars were getting paid to lose? It's like they're trying to make themselves look bad so others can bet on them losing. 🤑 And it's not just the players, but also coaches and even former players who got involved in this scheme. It's a total betrayal of trust. The NCAA has been doing a good job investigating these scandals, but it's clear that more needs to be done to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. I mean, if you're going to make money off sports, shouldn't you be competing fairly? 🏀
 
Ugh, this is getting out of hand 🤯! First, it's one player, then five, now dozens? It's like a never-ending nightmare 😩. These players are not only cheating themselves, but also ruining the game for everyone else who plays fair and square. And what really gets me is that some of these players are still playing in their teams' current games 🤦‍♂️. I mean, come on! How can we trust them now?

And don't even get me started on the NCAA's "lifetime bans" ⏰. That just doesn't seem like enough punishment to these guys. I'd say they should be banned for good, or at least for a really long time 🔒. And what about all the money that's been lost by sportsbooks? That's just not right 🤑.

I guess what I'm saying is that this whole situation just needs more attention and action ⚡️. We need to crack down on these betting schemes and protect the integrity of the game once and for all 💪.
 
😬 this is so messed up... can't believe some of these guys were getting paid to tank games and ruin sports integrity 🤯 $30k per game is insane, like who does that? 👎 especially when you think about all the other players who got hurt by these "fixers" 🤷‍♂️ gotta give it up to law enforcement for taking down this international conspiracy 💪
 
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