Basketball Hall of Famer reflects on crisis of gambling in sports: Not fun to see

Описание: Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the increase in sports betting and the concerns around betting scandals on ‘Special Report.’
Three active athletes are facing charges related to illegal sports gambling, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were arrested in October, with Rozier allegedly taking himself out of a game early on purpose, so friends could benefit from wagers on his "under" props.
There have since been reports that the NBA is interested in eliminating "under" bets, and in the wake of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers being arrested, Major League Baseball has moved to limit wagers on specific pitches.
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Seven-time NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame during the 2014 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)
That is an act that basketball Hall of Famer and Heat legend Alonzo Mourning wants the NBA to take.
"You need the front office to regulate it. I mean, every network is promoting gambling right now, you know? You get all types of gambling outlets now through all sports. You go to different arenas, and they're promoting gambling during the game. So you gotta let the front offices regulate this and clean it up. You know, it's as simple as that. It's just not fun to see," Mourning said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"It places a stigma on these sports leagues. It’s something that, you know, these front offices have to clean up. So I think the NBA — they’re gonna do what they need to do to clean up the image, as well as baseball, as well as football, whatever sport is dealing with this crisis, because it seems like gambling is here to stay. I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon. Now that it’s been introduced, I don’t think it’s going anywhere."
Alonzo Mourning shoots a layup against the New Jersey Nets in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 1, 2005. (Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were accused of intentionally throwing balls. Officials said in the indictment that from May 2023 to June 2025, Clase agreed with a co-conspirator to "throw specific pitches in certain MLB games" so the bettors they were allegedly partnered with "would profit from illegal wagers made based on that inside information." Ortiz allegedly joined the scheme in June 2025.
Emmanuel Clase, left, and Luis Ortiz, were indicted in a federal gambling probe on Nov. 9, 2025. (IMAGN)
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The NBA figures were among nearly 30 people indicted for gambling rings that also involved the mafia, including illegal poker games.
Fox News' Scot Thompson, Ryan Gaydos, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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