Recently sports players and coaches have been in deep gambling trouble. Players are getting suspended, coaches getting fired. On October 23, 2025 player Terry Rozier Guard who plays for the Miami Heat, trail blazers coach Damion Jones, and former player Chancy Billups were arrested due to an ongoing case involving them illegally gambling. The police started investigating Rozier because of speculation on him playing worse so that people betting on his “Under” would make money. But in all this legal trouble we tend to only think about ourselves, but how do younger fans feel. How do we feel about players selling games just for money? Fans aren’t happy, specifically younger fans that literally can’t gain anything from this.
In sports betting you can bet whether or not a player is going to reach a certain goal and they reset every game. For example if I wanted to bet on recent NBA champion and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander I could bet on whether or not he scores 20 points in his next game. If I voted the “under” and he did score over 20 points I don’t gain any money from that game but if he didn’t reach 20 points I would profit and vice versa if I bet on the “over.”
But what even happened you may ask. So as of recent Player Terry Rozier has been underperforming on purpose and telling close people to him to vote on the under so that people who bet under would profit off of Rozier’s Performance. We can see that Rozier is doing it on purpose. If you look at some games you can see that he clearly is doing things to get turnovers and taking bad shots. Also, there was a game where he chucked up shots in the first quarter and faked a head injury and after he sat on the bench until halftime and left during the 3rd quarter.
In all this legal trouble it doesn’t only affect bettors and sports teams, it also affects younger fans. Asking around you can tell kids aren’t happy. Kids can’t bet on sports because sports betting is a form a gambling and you have to be at least 21 to gamble legally. So kids knowing that people are doing this they feel is unfair. After being informed on what’s happening, Junior at ERHS Ethan James expresses that what they are doing “ruins the true meaning of the game because others work hard to try and be in their position and they are ruining it for themselves”. James also shares that “ they are doing it to gain reputation and ruin others’ images.” In all James isn’t happy because it’s “unnecessary” and selfish.
And it’s not just James who is upset at what they are doing. We also asked Se’Maj McCloud, another 11th grader, who shares that sports is a “business,it should be taken as so … Outsiders should not be given insider information.” McCloud has a little different input on this since he is a sports player himself McCloud expresses that “living for rep” is better than just playing “for money.” Students expressed that this ruins the watching experience when players sell games for money. Korlan Sessoms, an 11th grader at ERHS, thinks it “ruins the game” and takes the “entertainment away from fans.”
Terry Rozier’s stats downgraded drastically in the 2024-2025 season he shot 30% from three point range and 40% from field goal in 26 minutes averaging 11 points per game and 3 assist which if you look at his stats before that where he averaged 20 points per game and 6 assists.
In return for him selling his stats Terry would get a flat fee from the bettors he gave information to or a share of the profits. Also Coach Daimion Jones and others in the NBA have been giving out information that the public doesn’t have, like if a star player isn’t going to play that day. For example in 2023, Jones sent a text to someone that read “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now!!!” Lebron is believed to be “PLAYER 3” because he didn’t play that day against the Milwaukee Bucks.