One thought ought to dominate the minds of everyone associated with major sports in this country: If the public loses confidence in the fair play and integrity of the games, it may take generations to recover.

Why, then, do they keep playing with fire?

The NBA has a new scandal to worry about. In a story first reported this week by The Wall Street Journal, federal investigators are examining whether Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat, who has a $100 million contract, intentionally altered his performance in an illegal sports betting scheme.

Prop bets

On March 23, 2023, when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets, he took himself out of the game early, complaining of foot pain. A firm that monitors betting markets on behalf of sports, gambling and government agencies, noticed some unusual betting activity surrounding Rozier’s performance, the Journal said.

Using “proposition bets” (prop bets, for short), people can legally bet on specific parts of an athlete’s performance, such as points scored or rebounds grabbed.

It’s important to note that no charges have been filed against Rozier, and investigators aren’t saying whether they think he deliberately helped gamblers. Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was charged criminally and banned from the NBA for life last year for removing himself early from a game that had attracted unusual betting interest.

TV ratings down

NBA television ratings are down an astounding 25% this season. Analysts have suggested that dull, predictable play may be to blame.

But while the reasons are likely complicated, Les Bernal, national director of the advocacy group Stop Predatory Gambling, suggests sports leagues may be fouling their own nests through their new cozy relationships with legal gambling, which he says is a core part of their business models. Ads for sports wagering dominate many sports broadcasts.

“What really draws true fans is the competition and the drama of sports,” he told me Friday morning. “Now, the leagues and the gambling companies have made watching sports all about gambling. There are people watching who literally don’t care about sports. It’s all about gambling.”

Bernal said the ads make it seem as if you’re not a real fan if you don’t bet on the games. “Instead of promoting the sport for people who are fans of it, they’re cannibalizing their own product.”

And while leagues initially embraced legal gambling as a way to bring wagering out of the shadows, Bernal said it has instead proliferated scandals. Previous scandals involved point shaving. Now, prop bets put pressures on athletes, even in college, to perform a certain way or score a certain number of points.

A broad investigation

The Wall Street Journal said the investigation is working to uncover what is believed to be “a sprawling ring of gamblers and poker players who have allegedly rigged games across the sports landscape.”

Sports Illustrated quoted sources saying as many as seven college programs could be involved. Players are being examined for allegedly gambling on their own games or trying to affect outcomes.

As I wrote last year, recent betting scandals have touched virtually every major sports league, including the NFL and major league baseball. The NHL suspended one player for six months for gambling, although the league has not released details.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has pleaded with Congress to make prop bets illegal, which he posted on X “are too easy to mess with.”

At what point do fans begin to lose interest in games? At what point do they wonder whether what they watch is legitimate? How many more scandals will it take? Has the disaffection already begun?

Taxpayer investments

These are questions even non-sports fans should worry about. The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group, estimates that between 1970 and 2020, local governments in the U.S. and Canada spent a combined $33 billion on stadium and arena construction.

In Utah, governments are committing large sums to help renovate the Delta Center for hockey and to possibly build a major league baseball stadium.

They are doing so under the unstated premise that the games aren’t rigged, or that fans at least believe this is so. But what if all that crumbles?

Isn’t it time for politicians nationwide to begin protecting these investments by beating a hasty retreat on legalized sports gambling?