(Philadelphia, January 15, 2026) — Twenty-six people have been charged with involvement in a rigged sports betting scheme spanning American university basketball and professional basketball in China, U.S. judicial authorities announced Thursday.
The charges represent the latest scandal to impact the world of American basketball, following indictments in October related to illegal gambling involving NBA figures.
- Twenty-six individuals face charges related to a sports betting scheme involving both U.S. college and Chinese professional basketball.
- The scheme allegedly began in 2022 with a player in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) intentionally underperforming to facilitate bets.
- Bribes paid to players in the American university system (NCAA) ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game.
- The accused could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of financial fraud.
According to an indictment unsealed in Philadelphia Thursday, the scheme dates back to 2022, when former Chicago Bulls player Antonio Blakeney, then playing for the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Championship (CBA), allegedly agreed to manipulate game outcomes to benefit illicit bets placed in China.
In April 2023, a major sports bettor deposited approximately $200,000 in cash – proceeds from the fixed CBA matches – in a Florida storage unit belonging to Blakeney, authorities said. Blakeney is currently facing separate legal proceedings and was not among the 26 individuals indicted Thursday.
A “massive scam”
Federal prosecutor David Metcalf described the operation as “a massive scam” during a press conference Thursday, explaining that after proving profitable in the CBA, the accused turned their attention to the American university system (NCAA).
The indictment alleges that during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA seasons, the group corrupted dozens of players across more than 17 teams to manipulate the outcomes of around 30 games.
The amount of bribes offered to players ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, generating millions of dollars in winnings for those organizing the bets, according to authorities. The accused face up to five years in prison, with those charged with financial fraud potentially facing up to twenty years, officials stated.
Why It Matters
This case highlights the growing threat of sports betting corruption as legalized gambling expands across the United States. While the NBA has faced scrutiny in recent months with separate indictments related to illegal betting, the alleged involvement of dozens of NCAA players demonstrates the vulnerability of college athletics to manipulation. The scale of the alleged scheme, spanning both professional and amateur leagues and two countries, underscores the increasingly sophisticated nature of these criminal enterprises and the challenges facing law enforcement in combating them.
