Here’s Who Really Dropped The Ball Amid Terry Rozier Suspicious Activity Alerts

This Terry Rozier thing looks bad.

It looks bad for the NBA, it looks bad for the bettors in question, it looks bad for the sports betting world in general, and it looks, to me, even worse for the sportsbooks who took bets on this game, Rozier-prop-specific or otherwise.

Just go back and look at Twitter on the day in question. That afternoon — March 23, 2023 — people were posting on now-X about how Rozier’s props for that night’s game were up, then down, then up. Rozier was not on the injury report. He was a starter for the Charlotte Hornets. There should have been a robust menu of props for him. 

As a result, before the game was even played, people had their eyebrows raised.

They weren’t the only ones with eyebrows raised that day, as the Wall Street Journal reported last Thursday that U.S. Integrity (now a part of IC360) sent an alert to the NBA and the sportsbooks that there was unusual betting activity on Rozier unders that day. 

In the last two years, U.S. Integrity sent three alerts, total, on NBA action, according to the article: this one, and two on Jontay Porter.

Who knew what and when

Here’s the thing: If I ran a sportsbook, and I got a rare alert about something screwy potentially going on, I’m taking the entire game off the board. Why? Because I have information the average bettor cannot possibly have. The playing field is potentially tilted way too much in my direction. Game off the board, consumer protected. The end.

Of course, it should be noted: We, the public, are working with incomplete information here. We don’t know what U.S. Integrity told the books, which books they told, what they told the league … the list of what we don’t know is endless.

One thing we do know, however: These alerts around NBA contests are rare. While numerous sportsbooks politely declined to hook me up with someone in their compliance department in the wake of the Rozier news, I did speak with someone who has significant experience in this world. They worked for one of the major leagues, and told me pretty much what the WSJ printed: These alerts are few and far between. There’s plenty of information passed back and forth, but as for these klaxon-like alerts? Not often. “Very rare,” I was told.

As we now know — one of the few items we know know — Rozier left the game in question after nine minutes of play with a foot injury, and didn’t play for the rest of the season. The NBA launched an investigation at some point after that game and cleared Rozier of any wrongdoing, and now the feds are looking into it as part of a larger investigation that may involve some people potentially connected to allegations of game fixing in the collegiate ranks.

Is Rozier guilty of any wrongdoing? I have no idea. But it sure looks like one of two things is happening here: Either Rozier pulled a Porter, or the same gamblers that were working with Porter had inside information that Rozier had an undisclosed injury.

As you can see, neither of these potential outcomes are particularly rosy for anyone involved. Is there a third outcome I’m failing to see? I don’t think there is.

If Rozier is/was part of it, we know where this leads: lifetime ban.

If he’s not part of it, how did these gamblers catch wind of Rozier’s undisclosed foot injury?

Again, neither option is good. It’s like choosing between getting punched in the face by Mike Tyson in his prime or … well, or getting punched in the face by Mike Tyson, slightly out of his prime. 

A modest proposal

And as much as it pains me to say it — after all, I freely admit to being a cheerleader for legalized gambling — it’s the sportsbooks themselves who really and truly dropped the ball here.

How’s this for a modest proposal: Any time U.S. Integrity/IC360 or any other watchdog contacts the sportsbooks about some fugazi, very rare business possibly going down, the sportsbooks take the entire game off the board and void any existing bets. Doesn’t this make the most sense? Doesn’t this protect the consumer more than any other thing they can do? After all, as the WSJ article pointed out, these alerts are rare, and my source said the same.

In this case — and in the case of non-stop advertising, and when there was talk of accepting pro wrestling wagers, and any other number of instances — I’ve called on the sportsbooks to police themselves before it’s too late.

Already, Bill Barnwell of ESPN called for the banning of NBA prop bets. He won’t be the last.

Already, the sports betting industry has caught the eyes of federal legislators.

Already, the sports betting industry is getting blasted left and right by mainstream media.

Enough already, is what I’d say if I had the ear of the sportsbook CEOs. 

It’s a simple announcement: We will not take bets on games in the seemingly ultra-rare cases that are flagged. Do that, and at least someone comes out of this mess smelling like a rose.