NBA Player Malik Beasley Faces Guilty Plea in Gambling Scandal

NBA player Malik Beasley plans to plead guilty to charges on December 9 related to illegal sports gambling, as reported by his attorney. Beasley faces accusations of influencing his performance in specific games in 2024 to benefit sports bettors and alleviate personal debt.

In July, Beasley initially entered a not guilty plea in New York federal court. He is among the prominent figures implicated in a broad federal gambling investigation. The indictment, unsealed this summer, names Beasley, 29, and sports agent Paolo Zamorano, who also pleaded not guilty, among the six individuals charged. The investigation has resulted in more than three dozen arrests.

Accusations against Beasley involve manipulating his game performance, either by underperforming or overperforming, to meet or exceed bookmakers’ expectations in at least four games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024. According to the indictment, bettors bribed Beasley, and in return, his debts to Ed Davis were reduced or forgiven.

Beasley reportedly borrowed money from Ed Davis, a former teammate, after incurring significant gambling losses. His financial troubles are widely documented, including disputes with various service providers. A lawsuit from a sports marketing agency led to a $1 million default judgment against him in 2025.

Beasley, along with Davis and Zamorano, faced charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.

Malik Beasley has been absent from the NBA since his 2024-25 season stint with the Detroit Pistons, where he played under a one-year, $6 million contract. He averaged 16 points per game and concluded his season with a 20-point performance in his last playoff game against the New York Knicks.

The scandal involving illegal gambling also led to the arrests of NBA personalities such as Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones. Damon Jones was the first to enter a guilty plea, acknowledging his involvement in defrauding sports betting companies using insider information from his NBA relations. Authorities discovered that Jones provided information about injuries and game strategies that influenced betting outcomes.

For example, Jones allegedly advised someone that LeBron James, a major player on the Los Angeles Lakers, would miss a game on February 9, 2023, due to an ankle injury. This information was not public at the time. Similarly, Jones disclosed injury details about another Lakers star, speculated to be Anthony Davis, though this backfired as Davis played effectively and led his team to victory.

Terry Rozier faces allegations of benching himself in games to allow bettors to profit from his lowered performance expectations. Another player, Jontay Porter, is currently incarcerated for his role in illegal sports gambling.