First Prison Term Handed Down in NBA Betting and Poker‑Cheating Case

A federal judge in Brooklyn has sentenced Timothy McCormack to two years in prison, the first prison term arising from the wide‑ranging NBA‑linked betting and poker‑cheating scandal unveiled last fall. Prosecutors say McCormack defrauded sports‑betting platforms by using non‑public information about NBA players allegedly in on the scheme to place highly profitable wagers, while court filings describe a parallel operation in which conspirators used altered card‑shuffling machines, electronic chip‑tray analyzers, invisible card markings and special contact lenses to rig high‑stakes poker games. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. has called it 'one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States,' and the investigation has already ensnared former NBA figures Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones, who prosecutors say were used as celebrity draws for the fixed games. At sentencing, McCormack told the court he has struggled with gambling addiction for more than half his life, and Judge DeArcy Hall acknowledged the addiction while stressing that the conduct was serious enough to warrant prison time. The case underscores mounting concern in Washington and on Wall Street that legalized sports betting and high‑tech gambling equipment are creating new avenues for corruption that could undermine public confidence in professional leagues and wagering markets.