Rushed to get all the bets in
It’s been half a year since the news broke that the Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier was under federal investigation for possible links to suspicious sports betting activity. Now, further details have emerged as to what some of that activity specifically was.
According to ESPN’s David Purdum, someone placed 30 bets at Harrah’s Gulf Coast in Biloxi on Rozier to come in under prop bet marks for a game on March 23, 2023, when he was on the Charlotte Hornets. In less than an hour the morning of the 8:00pm game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the person made 29 bets at a self-serve kiosk and one with a cashier. All told, the bettor risked $13,759; the largest bet, the one with the cashier, was for $2,700 on Rozier to grab fewer than 5.5 rebounds.
That night, Rozier exited the game after ten minutes with an alleged foot injury. Because he saw limited action, his stats fell short of the props set by Harrah’s Gulf Coast and the bettor won every bet. Rozier did not play again that season.
The casino thought something might be up and initially refused to pay, then petitioned the Mississippi Gaming Commission to allow it to void the bets. But because it had no proof that shenanigans were afoot, Harrah’s Gulf Coast eventually paid the gambler, who profited just over $13,000.
Sportsbooks were warned
Harrah’s Gulf Coast was not the only casino to take an unusual number of bets on Rozier under props. Purdum reported that at least six sportsbooks in multiple states reported odd activity. Additionally, U.S. Integrity, a sports betting integrity firm, issued a warning to sportsbooks across the country at 2:24pm the day of the game. Many sportsbooks halted Rozier props as a result.
At this point, Terry Rozier has not been charged or accused of any wrongdoing. In fact, the NBA looked into it in 2023 and found no rules violations. This specific game and the associated bets do look suspect, though, and the investigation is ongoing.
The investigation into Rozier is an extension of the federal probe that nabbed former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter and several co-conspirators. The modus operandi looks the same, too: Porter took himself out of two games in 2024 so that his accomplices could cash in on him not hitting prop bet targets.
Porter has since been banned from the NBA for life and has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.