The biggest risk when it comes to the proliferation of legal sports betting comes from the possibility of players deliberately losing games.
The NCAA has found that four Alabama State basketball players did just that, in December 2024 against Southern Mississippi.
Per the NCAA’s negotiated resolution, Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock accepted a total of $2,000 to throw the game.
Fulcher and Madlock received $700 each. Fulcher (pictured) was the primary contact for the bettors who made the request, and Madlock provided information that he would not be playing in the game due to an injury. Hines and Knox received $300 each.
Earlier this year, Fulcher and Hines were indicted on multiple federal charges, including bribery in sports wagering contests, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the game against Southern Mississippi.
Knox admitted to the scheme. Fulcher and Hines denied it, and Madlock declined to be interviewed.
The four players are no longer members of the Alabama State men’s basketball program, and they are not currently competing in NCAA college sports. The NCAA has found that they are permanently ineligible to play.
It’s good that the truth came to light. The broader question is whether and to what extent similar things have happened without the situation being detected — in any sport and at every level.
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