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Defector

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Malik Beasley Charged With Bribery, Money Laundering, And Wire Fraud In Alleged Prop-Bet Scheme

Lauren Theisen

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Rob Manfred

It’s Gambling

Giannis Antetokounmpo Jumps In Bed With Sleazy Prediction Market

Danny Funt

Journalismism

How Bill Simmons Went All In

Sarah York

A general view during Derek Steven's New Sportsbook Venture "Circa Sports" Launch at Golden Gate Hotel &amp; Casino on June 1, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jamboroo

Sports Gamblers Are Dorks

Patrick Redford

FBI Director Kash Patel leads news conference to announce arrests tied to illegal sports betting and poker game schemes, in New York City on October 23, 2025. NBA coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in illegal gambling. Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and member of the NBA Hall of Fame, was arrested in connection with rigged illegal poker games tied to the Mafia, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Rozier and a former NBA player, Damon Jones, were arrested in a sports betting case, Patel said at a press conference in New York. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Podcasts

Everything Is Gambling Now, With Liz Franczak

A detailed view of a hand holding a Fanduel Sports Network–branded microphone during an interview after the Detroit Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics on February 26, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.

Gambling

The NBA Media Is Not Built To Cover A Gambling Scandal

Ray Ratto

Group shot of the 1919 White Sox. They would after this year be known as the "Black Sox Scandal" team, due to the allegation that eight members of the team accepted bribes to lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Baseball Frees Its Gambling Ghosts

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 08: Xavier Legette #17 of the Carolina Panthers drops a pass while being guarded by C.J. Gardner-Johnson #8 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth quarter of a game at Lincoln Financial Field on December 08, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sports Gambling Thrives On Clicks, Not Community

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Risk Week

Everything I Expect From Atlantic City, Based On The ‘Rugrats’ Vacation Episode

Head coach Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars adjusts his headset prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills. He looks pretty goofy, and the JAMBORAY badge is imposed over the Jags logo on his shirt.

A Bet You’ll Always Lose

Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds dives head first into home plate during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field during the early 1970s in Chicago

Pete Rose, All-American

A general view of the Draft Kings sign during the Major League Baseball game

DraftKings Introduces Fees To The World Of Sports Wagering

David Roth

Luka Doncic making a very silly WHOOO face after the Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals. He's got a hat on.

Garlic Shrimp And Slovenian Timelords, With Ray Ratto

MLB Makes A Convenient Example Of Several Gambling Bozos

Luis Paez-Pumar

Referee Peter Bankes shows a yellow card to Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United at Vitality Stadium on August 12, 2023 in Bournemouth, England.

Soccer

West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá Charged With Betting Breaches

Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers pitches in a game against the Yankees in May of 2010. The facial hair is outrageous.

Make Gambling Embarrassing Again, With Justin Halpern

Kathryn Xu

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara of the Los Angeles Angels looks on against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 25, 2023 in New York City. The Angels defeated the Mets 3-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The Wildest Stuff Alleged In The Criminal Complaint Against Ippei Mizuhara

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers, pictured with his translator, Ippei Mizuhara, prepares for a game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.

Not Even An Ippei Mizuhara Guilty Plea Will Take MLB Off The Hook

Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99

Diana Moskovitz

The view of the F1 race from the Bellagio Fountain Club on the Las Vegas Strip. The club can hold 3,600 people and three-day tickets sell for $12,000. You can also see the Paris casino and its recreation of the Eiffel Tower.

College Basketball

In Las Vegas, It’s Not Who’s Your Team But What’s Your Parlay

Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United during the UEFA Champions League match between Newcastle United FC and Borussia Dortmund at St. James Park on October 25, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Update: Sandro Tonali’s 10-Month Gambling Ban No Longer In Limbo

Israel Daramola

Quarterback Hunter Dekkers #12 of the Iowa State Cyclones throws the ball in the second half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Ames, Iowa. The Baylor Bears won 31-24 over the Iowa State Cyclones.

Iowa State QB Charged With Being A Normal 21st-Century Sports Fan

Shams Charania gestures during an interview.

Media Meltdowns

Shams Charania’s Whoopsie Sure Made Someone A Lot Of Money

COMMERCE CITY, CO - MARCH 3 : Max Alves of Colorado Rapids poses for a portrait at Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on Thursday, March 3, 2022.(Photo by Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)