Plus: Sports betting scandal | Thursday, October 23, 2025
 
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By Mike Allen · Oct 23, 2025

Good Thursday afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 474 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.

 
 
1 big thing: Scandal tarnishes sports betting
 
an illustration of poker chips designed to look like basketballs

Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios

 

Six people, including an active NBA player, were indicted today in a federal investigation into illegal sports betting.

  • Prosecutors allege that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier leaked non-public information about his health, which his associates then used to place bets that he would underperform.
  • He's the third NBA player in less than two years to be investigated for such activity.

⚡️ The scandal threatens to undermine the momentum for the legalized sports betting industry, which has become a major source of revenue for the leagues, TV networks and state governments, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes.

  • Major sports leagues spurned betting for years, in part because of fears it would invite questions about the integrity of the game.
  • But now it's legal in 38 states, and Americans legally wagered about $150 billion on sports last year. ESPN even runs its own betting app.