Two former NBA players formally charged in a sports betting manipulation case in the US

Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been formally charged by US prosecutors over an alleged scheme to manipulate their on-court performance for illegal betting profits. For PSPs and operators, the useful part is not the celebrity name-drop — it is the mechanics: inside information, pre-arranged performance targets, and betting tied to player props.

1. According to prosecutors, Beasley, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Davis agreed before games to underperform or overperform in specific statistical categories so others could bet on the outcome.
2. The indictment, unsealed by a federal court in Brooklyn on Monday, 29 June 2026, charges six defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud through honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
3. Prosecutors said the scheme involved other participants, including current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano, and that several of the accused had already been arrested and were due in court later.
4. One example cited by prosecutors was the game on 26 January 2024 between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Beasley allegedly told Davis he planned to record fewer rebounds than usual.
5. The complaint says the alleged payments for the manipulation took the form of bribes, often by reducing or wiping out gambling debts Beasley owed Davis, which is the kind of arrangement that matters for operators because it ties player conduct directly to betting exposure.

US prosecutor Joseph Nocella said schemes like this threaten the integrity of sport. For betting businesses, the operational takeaway is plain enough: player-prop markets, insider access, and debt-settlement style incentives can all sit in the same risk cluster.