Many people across Ohio participate in organized sports. There are both major and minor league teams that pay professional players. There are student-athletes enrolled at many different colleges and universities. There are also countless adults participating in amateur leagues and races across the states.
Professionals, student athletes and well-regarded amateurs who frequently place or have sponsorships are potentially capable of rigging sporting events or games. Sometimes, athletes intentionally manipulate their performance or seek an unfavorable outcome with the intent of securing a specific outcome for a game.
Rigging a game is not a minor matter
Those accused of rigging a game aren’t just at risk of reputation damage or exclusion from participating in certain league events. Athletes could put themselves at risk of prosecution at the state or federal levels.
Rigged games often relate to sports betting. Sports betting has become a mainstream part of modern athletic competitions. Generally speaking, those actively participating in games cannot bet on themselves or their teams. However, they could conspire with others to place that and then alter their performance during a competition to ensure that their co-conspirators win their bets.
In late 2025, federal prosecutors announced charges against two Major League Baseball pitchers. Both played for the Cleveland Guardians and allegedly conspired to manipulate game outcomes with sports bettors. The pitchers did not bet themselves but received bribes and kickbacks for manipulating how they played for the benefit of bettors.
The pitchers implicated in this betting scheme may have received as little as $5,000 for manipulating pitches. They face much more serious consequences if they plead guilty to or get convicted of federal crimes related to rigging an athletic competition.
Student athletes are also vulnerable to accusations of manipulating the outcome of athletic competitions for personal financial gain. Interference with a game or a conspiracy to place manipulated bets could lead to federal white-collar criminal charges against the people involved. Both athletes and bettors are at risk of prosecution.
Responding effectively to federal white-collar charges associated with sports betting requires the guidance of a professional familiar with this niche area of law, and that’s okay. The stakes of this situation are simply too high for a DIY approach.