Malik Beasley Charged in $31,000 Prop-Bet Tanking Scheme Over 4 Games
Updated
Updated · cleveland.com · Jun 29
Malik Beasley Charged in $31,000 Prop-Bet Tanking Scheme Over 4 Games
3 articles · Updated · cleveland.com · Jun 29
Summary
Federal prosecutors say Beasley agreed to underperform in at least four 2024 Milwaukee Bucks games, including a Jan. 26 matchup with Cleveland, so bettors could profit from prop bets.
Text messages in the indictment say Beasley, owing former teammate Edward Davis gambling debts, told him before the Cavaliers game he would finish with fewer than four rebounds; Davis then alerted others who placed at least $31,000 in wagers.
Beasley played 27 minutes and grabbed three rebounds in the Bucks' 112-110 loss, triggering payouts worth thousands of dollars, according to prosecutors. His lawyer said the indictment is not evidence and urged the public to reserve judgment.
The case adds to a widening Northeast Ohio-linked federal sports-betting crackdown that also includes charges against Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz and Terry Rozier, plus Damon Jones' guilty plea in a separate insider-tipping case.