Malik Beasley to plead guilty in NBA gambling and bribery case

Former NBA player Malik Beasley is expected to plead guilty to federal charges involving illegal sports gambling and bribery. According to his attorney, Beasley is negotiating a plea deal with Department of Justice prosecutors.

The indictment alleges that during the 2023–24 season while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Beasley intentionally manipulated his performance in at least four games to assist bettors. By underperforming or overperforming relative to bookmakers’ expectations in categories such as scoring and rebounding, he helped gamblers win bets. These games were reportedly selected because they were not nationally televised.

Prosecutors claim Beasley’s motive was to alleviate significant gambling debts. Beasley allegedly borrowed money from former teammate Ed Davis to cover millions of dollars in losses. The charges against Beasley include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, sports bribery, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Beasley is among several individuals caught up in a broader federal investigation that has resulted in more than three dozen arrests.