The world of sports is once again shaken by serious allegations of illegal betting, match-fixing and money laundering, involving top athletes in the United States and referees in Turkey. The federal prosecutor's office in the Eastern District of New York announced the indictment of two players from the American League of Baseball (MLB) - Emmanuel Clase (27 years old) and Luis Ortiz (26 years old), both from the Cleveland Guardians team - in a case of rigged sports betting and money laundering, AFP reports. According to investigators, Emmanuel Clase began rigging throws during matches as early as May 2023, allowing a small circle of people to obtain fraudulent winnings of more than $ 400,000.
Luis Ortiz allegedly joined the network in June 2025, contributing an additional $60,000 in illegal profits to his accomplices. "The two players manipulated key moments of games to gain an improper advantage in betting, taking advantage of inside information and their privileged position in the game,” said Christopher Raia, deputy director of the FBI's New York office. Luis Ortiz was arrested Sunday in Boston and was scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday, while Emmanuel Clase is not in custody. Both players were suspended by MLB over the summer while the internal investigation continues. If convicted, they face up to 65 years in prison.
• NBA Charges Wave: Big Names Involved in Illegal Gambling
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The baseball case follows a series of similar scandals that rocked the NBA in late October. Among the names being discussed are Chauncey Billups (49), former NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons (2004) and former coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier (31), a player for the Miami Heat. Billups was arrested, along with about 30 other people, on charges of participating in a nationwide network of rigged poker games with ties to the Sicilian mafia Cosa Nostra. Terry Rozier is involved in a betting-fixing case based on the disclosure of confidential information from within the team. Another former NBA player, Damon Jones, close to LeBron James, pleaded not guilty to both cases on Thursday in New York.
• Major investigation also in Turkey: soccer referees suspected of illegal betting
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In parallel, authorities in Turkey announced last week the detention of 18 people, as part of an investigation targeting soccer referees suspected of betting on matches. The action comes just a week after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) suspended 149 referees for involvement in illegal betting, sparking a major scandal in the country. According to the Istanbul prosecutor's office, a total of 21 people - including 17 referees and the president of a top-flight club - are under arrest and are being investigated for abuse of office and influencing the outcome of matches. The suspensions range from eight to 12 months, but it was not clear whether some of the referees had even bet on the matches they refereed.
These recent cases highlight a deepening integrity crisis in professional sports, where financial pressure and access to online betting platforms have opened the door to international networks of match-fixing. The FBI, UEFA and other international authorities are already working together in joint operations to monitor sports betting in an attempt to restore public trust in the fairness of competitions.