Beasley and Davis charged in federal gambling case
A New York federal indictment accuses former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis of roles in an alleged sports betting scheme.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been indicted in federal court over an alleged sports betting operation, Reuters reported Monday. The case matters because prosecutors say wagers were tied to Beasley’s own statistical performance while he was playing in the NBA.
The indictment, released by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, names six defendants, according to Reuters. Beasley and Davis are charged alongside William Brown, Rob Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia and Paolo Zamorano.
Davis, Brown, Gorodetsky and Plascencia were arrested Monday, Reuters reported. Beasley and Zamorano were not in custody as of Monday morning, according to the report. Zamorano is an NBA player agent.
Prosecutors allege that Beasley lost millions of dollars gambling during a nine-year NBA career in which he played for six teams from 2016 to 2025. The indictment says he agreed before at least three Milwaukee Bucks games in the 2023-24 season to alter his performance so alleged co-conspirators could bet on his statistics.
According to the indictment, prosecutors say Beasley took bribes to reduce or pay debts he owed Davis. The two were teammates with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season. Davis played 12 NBA seasons for eight teams from 2010 to 2022, Reuters reported.
The indictment cites a December 2023 text message that prosecutors attribute to Davis, who allegedly wrote to Beasley: “Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting. … We can make some good money.”
Prosecutors also described a January 26, 2024, Bucks game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The indictment says Beasley told Davis a month after the December text that he would finish under his rebounding prop line for that game. Beasley had three rebounds, below a 3.5-rebound line listed at some sportsbooks, Reuters reported.
The indictment alleges that the defendants and co-conspirators placed multiple fraudulent wagers worth tens of thousands of dollars on Beasley’s under-rebounds prop bets. Prosecutors did not accuse the sportsbooks of wrongdoing in the details reported by Reuters.
As of midday Monday, the NBA had not issued a public statement on the indictments, Reuters reported.
Beasley was selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets and earned nearly $60 million in his NBA career, according to Reuters. Davis was a 2010 first-round pick by the Toronto Raptors and earned almost $47 million during his career.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.