US Senate committee asks NBA commissioner for details on gambling investigations
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said the probe is a matter of Congressional concern.
US.- A US Senate committee has requested information from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on allegations of gambling corruption in the league. In a letter, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said it is “a matter of Congressional concern” and asked for details about the league’s approach to investigating potential gambling violations.
The committee wrote: “In light of the latest allegations of gambling-related corruption involving an NBA player, we write seeking more information about how the NBA investigated and handled these allegations as well as what steps the Association is taking to maintain the public’s trust.”
It added: “The integrity of NBA games must be trustworthy and free from the influence of organized crime or gambling-related activity. Sports betting scandals like this one may lead the American public to assume that all sports are corrupt. As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over professional sports, and as dedicated basketball fans, we want to ensure the NBA is protecting the integrity of the sport.”
In its letter, the committee asked the NBA to provide documents on any investigations into players, coaches, employees or owners since 2020, communications between the league and sportsbooks and integrity monitors about suspicious wagers, and the report from its internal investigation of Rozier.
“This Committee needs to understand the specifics of the NBA’s investigation and why Rozier was cleared to continue playing basketball,” the committee wrote.
It added: “According to public reporting and the federal indictments, NBA players and coaches may have used confidential or nonpublic information to arrange for wagers to be made on games and player prop bets in order to make a profit. In some instances, players allegedly rigged wagers themselves by taking actions to make sure their preferred outcomes occurred.”
Rozier is accused of sharing inside information and removing himself early from at least one game for the benefit of gamblers. He has denied wrongdoing.
