NBA betting scandal: first prison sentence handed down
Two years in prison for Timothy McCormack: the first conviction in the NBA betting scandal that also involves Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter
The first verdict is in, marking a key turning point in the betting scandal that has rocked the NBA. Timothy McCormack, who has publicly described himself as a gambling addict, has been sentenced to two years in prison.
McCormack thus becomes the first defendant to receive a sentence in an investigation that also directly implicates Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter, with charges that have cast a harsh spotlight on the integrity of sports betting tied to professional basketball.
NBA betting and insider information: McCormack’s role
According to prosecutors, McCormack defrauded multiple betting platforms by using non-public information about NBA players’ performances, placing highly profitable wagers on statistical outcomes agreed upon in advance.
In court, the defendant acknowledged his personal struggles:
I’ve been battling a gambling addiction for more than half of my life.
Timothy McCormack
The prosecution had sought a four-year prison sentence, while the defense pushed for a punishment that would avoid incarceration. Ultimately, Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall opted for a middle ground.
The ruling: personal mitigating factors, but a serious crime
In explaining her decision, the judge acknowledged the weight of McCormack’s addiction, without minimizing the seriousness of the offense:
He has an addiction. I don’t believe what he did defines who he is as a person.
LaShann DeArcy Hall
At the same time, the court emphasized how McCormack’s actions undermined the credibility of professional sports:
There is no doubt this is a serious crime. Sports matter – to me as an individual and to society.
David Berman
A stance echoed by federal prosecutors.
The prosecution’s view: “Without people like him, the system doesn’t work”
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman acknowledged that McCormack was not the primary architect of the scheme:
He is not as culpable as other co-conspirators.
David Berman
But his role was still essential:
Without people like the defendant, these frauds cannot exist.
David Berman
A passage that makes clear the investigation is not focused solely on players, but on the entire chain that enables manipulation tied to NBA betting.
Rozier and Porter: very different situations
The McCormack case fits into a broader picture involving two well-known names.
Terry Rozier, currently on unpaid leave from the Miami Heat, has denied all charges, pleading not guilty in December to counts of wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he helped certain individuals win bets linked to his statistical performance in a March 2023 game, when he was with the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier is free on $3 million bail and is not scheduled to return to court before March.
Jontay Porter’s path is different. In 2024, he admitted responsibility, confessing that he removed himself from certain games to facilitate betting outcomes. Porter has been banned by the NBA and is awaiting his final sentence.