- Larry Householder, the Speaker of the Ohio House, has been arrested by the FBI on charges of bribery and racketeering and is being asked to resign his position in the Ohio Legislature.
- Householder played a hand with favorable voting on the passage in the House of OH HB 194 that would legalize sports betting and it moved along to the Senate.
- Due to his involvement in its progression, the question of whether or not House Bill 194 should continue moving forward is now being asked.
- Holy Toledo, another two-sport scandal! As in the Northwestern case of the 1990s, both the basketball and football programs at the University of Toledo were tarnished by the willingness of their players in 2005-06 to collaborate against their teams.
- The indictment charging Manni and Karam implicated seven former Toledo athletes with fixing Rockets football and basketball games and was filed in 2009 in U.S. District Court in Michigan. Two of the players were charged years prior and six ended up in the 2009 indictment. All the co-defendants have pled guilty.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – House Bill 194 that would legalize sports betting in Ohio may stall out after five people, including Speaker of the House, Republican Larry Householder, have been arrested on charges of bribery and racketeering.
Today, the sports betting industry has grown to nearly $500 billion in annual revenue worldwide, with about 90% of all European sports betting placed on European football matches. Unprecedented scandal broke out in 2009, when one of the largest investigations into corruption in European football, led by a Union of European Football Association.
While Householder is not directly connected to OH HB 194, he has been a supporter of it and its progression through the House.
Although unfair, with the charges brought against him, any bill that he was in favor of could now be put into question and OH HB 194 was one of them. The fact that this bill involves sports betting in Ohio already gives it skepticism and this case could make it worse.
The Ohio Arrests
On Tuesday, Householder along with his advisor Jeffrey Longstreth, lobbyist Neil Clark, former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matthew Borges and Juan Cespedes, the co-founder of The Oxley Group, a Columbus-based consulting firm, were all arrested under allegations of accepting $60 million in bribes. The FBI had been investigating all five men for quite some time in building their case against them.
Nuclear power plants in Cleveland and Toledo were set to shut down after not having the funds to stay afloat. Householder would step in to help keep the plants open by tacking on an extra service fee to all electric bills in Ohio and give the plants $150 million that would allow for them to keep operating until at least 2026.
The legislation that Householder had to pass in order to get the okay to charge residents more for their power was to nix any previous ideas for renewable energy that the state was hoping to implement and push that this would keep the plants open and people employed.
Over the course of three years, a non-profit group known as Generation Now was funneled $60 million from an unidentified source. This would be the money that Householder and the others would receive for their help in keeping the plants open.
All of that money was taxpayer money and Generation Now is also being charged in the part they played in helping with the crimes committed. This is one of the biggest if not the biggest bribery scandal the Buckeye State has ever seen.
What Does This Mean For Ohio Sports Betting?
House Bill 194 passed in the House on May 28. It moved to the Senate in June for its next leg of hearings that have not yet been scheduled. Sports betting would become legal under this bill for Ohioans and it was seeing a very favorable trajectory.
LegalSportsBetting previously spoke to both primary bill sponsors, Representative Dave Greenspan and Representative Brigid Kelly who were confident in OH HB 194 seeing more acceptance by lawmakers as time went on.
Of course, COVID-19 issues were at the forefront in the Ohio Legislature before bills like that of gambling on sporting events could be discussed again.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered $775 million in budget cuts in March, prior to the full effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic. He has spoken out as an advocate for legalizing sports betting and would more than likely sign off on any legislation that was brought to his desk.
A legal sports betting market could bring Ohio millions of dollars that they were very much in need of prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 and new revenue streams are needed that much more. However, the question remains, will the association with Householder taint the future of House Bill 194?
News tags: Brigid Kelly | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Dave Greenspan | FBI | Generation Now | House Bill 194 | Larry Householder | Mike DeWine | OH HB 194 | Ohio | Ohio Legislature
Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.
According to a March 10, 1986 Sports Illustrated Article, Charles K. McNeil of Connecticut invented point spread betting in the 1940's. This form of wagering uses a point handicap to create a 50/50 wagering proposition. For example: if the Knicks are -7.5 in a match, in order for bettors to win a Knicks point spread bet, the Knicks must win by 8 points or more. If they fail to cover the spread, or lose outright, their opponent is the winners for point spread betting purposes.
How to mill slots in steel knives. Starting in the late 1940s, point spreads became the primary way both basketball and football were bet in the United States. With it came a new (and perceived less harmful) method of match fixing called point shaving. This made it possible for teams to throw a match, and still win the game. In their eyes it was harmless. They were still playing to win the game; they were just attempting to win without covering the spread.
1951 CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
It did not take long for such scandals to become known. In 1951 a district attorney indicted college basketball players from CCNY, Manhattan College, New York University and Long Island University for point shaving. The most significant implication here involved second overall NBA draft pick Alex Groza. Solar casino mensa freiburg official site. During his two seasons in the NBA he averaged 22.5 points per game and was Rookie of the Year in his first. He was among several players convicted. His, what could have been a hall of fame, NBA career was ended when he was given a lifetime ban for the cheating he did while in college.
1978-1979 Boston College Point Shaving
Have you ever watch the 1990 Martin Scorsese Goodfellas where Robert De Niro plays Jimmy Burke and Ray Loyota plays Henry Hill? This was based on a true story. While not covered in the movie, Henry and Jimmy were involved in point shaving. It was when Henry Hill was busted on drug charges and turned government informant that he gave up the full story of the 1978-1979 Boston College point shaving scandal.
1984-1985 Tulane Point Shaving Scandal
In April 1985 it was alleged four men's basketball players from Tulane received cash and cocaine in order to assure the team did not cover the point spread in two games. This included star player John 'Hot Rod' Williams who was believed to be a near certain first round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. It was alleged he received $900 the first time and $4,500 the second. Two of the players were given immunity in exchange for testimony against Williams and 3 non-athletes involved in the fix. In what should have been his rookie year in the NBA he was on trial. His first trial resulted in mistrial and in his second he was acquitted. Starting a couple years late, he did go on to have a successful NBA career.
1994-1995 Arizona State Point Shaving
On Tuesday, Householder along with his advisor Jeffrey Longstreth, lobbyist Neil Clark, former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matthew Borges and Juan Cespedes, the co-founder of The Oxley Group, a Columbus-based consulting firm, were all arrested under allegations of accepting $60 million in bribes. The FBI had been investigating all five men for quite some time in building their case against them.
Nuclear power plants in Cleveland and Toledo were set to shut down after not having the funds to stay afloat. Householder would step in to help keep the plants open by tacking on an extra service fee to all electric bills in Ohio and give the plants $150 million that would allow for them to keep operating until at least 2026.
The legislation that Householder had to pass in order to get the okay to charge residents more for their power was to nix any previous ideas for renewable energy that the state was hoping to implement and push that this would keep the plants open and people employed.
Over the course of three years, a non-profit group known as Generation Now was funneled $60 million from an unidentified source. This would be the money that Householder and the others would receive for their help in keeping the plants open.
All of that money was taxpayer money and Generation Now is also being charged in the part they played in helping with the crimes committed. This is one of the biggest if not the biggest bribery scandal the Buckeye State has ever seen.
What Does This Mean For Ohio Sports Betting?
House Bill 194 passed in the House on May 28. It moved to the Senate in June for its next leg of hearings that have not yet been scheduled. Sports betting would become legal under this bill for Ohioans and it was seeing a very favorable trajectory.
LegalSportsBetting previously spoke to both primary bill sponsors, Representative Dave Greenspan and Representative Brigid Kelly who were confident in OH HB 194 seeing more acceptance by lawmakers as time went on.
Of course, COVID-19 issues were at the forefront in the Ohio Legislature before bills like that of gambling on sporting events could be discussed again.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered $775 million in budget cuts in March, prior to the full effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic. He has spoken out as an advocate for legalizing sports betting and would more than likely sign off on any legislation that was brought to his desk.
A legal sports betting market could bring Ohio millions of dollars that they were very much in need of prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 and new revenue streams are needed that much more. However, the question remains, will the association with Householder taint the future of House Bill 194?
News tags: Brigid Kelly | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Dave Greenspan | FBI | Generation Now | House Bill 194 | Larry Householder | Mike DeWine | OH HB 194 | Ohio | Ohio Legislature
Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.
According to a March 10, 1986 Sports Illustrated Article, Charles K. McNeil of Connecticut invented point spread betting in the 1940's. This form of wagering uses a point handicap to create a 50/50 wagering proposition. For example: if the Knicks are -7.5 in a match, in order for bettors to win a Knicks point spread bet, the Knicks must win by 8 points or more. If they fail to cover the spread, or lose outright, their opponent is the winners for point spread betting purposes.
How to mill slots in steel knives. Starting in the late 1940s, point spreads became the primary way both basketball and football were bet in the United States. With it came a new (and perceived less harmful) method of match fixing called point shaving. This made it possible for teams to throw a match, and still win the game. In their eyes it was harmless. They were still playing to win the game; they were just attempting to win without covering the spread.
1951 CCNY Point Shaving Scandal
It did not take long for such scandals to become known. In 1951 a district attorney indicted college basketball players from CCNY, Manhattan College, New York University and Long Island University for point shaving. The most significant implication here involved second overall NBA draft pick Alex Groza. Solar casino mensa freiburg official site. During his two seasons in the NBA he averaged 22.5 points per game and was Rookie of the Year in his first. He was among several players convicted. His, what could have been a hall of fame, NBA career was ended when he was given a lifetime ban for the cheating he did while in college.
1978-1979 Boston College Point Shaving
Have you ever watch the 1990 Martin Scorsese Goodfellas where Robert De Niro plays Jimmy Burke and Ray Loyota plays Henry Hill? This was based on a true story. While not covered in the movie, Henry and Jimmy were involved in point shaving. It was when Henry Hill was busted on drug charges and turned government informant that he gave up the full story of the 1978-1979 Boston College point shaving scandal.
1984-1985 Tulane Point Shaving Scandal
In April 1985 it was alleged four men's basketball players from Tulane received cash and cocaine in order to assure the team did not cover the point spread in two games. This included star player John 'Hot Rod' Williams who was believed to be a near certain first round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. It was alleged he received $900 the first time and $4,500 the second. Two of the players were given immunity in exchange for testimony against Williams and 3 non-athletes involved in the fix. In what should have been his rookie year in the NBA he was on trial. His first trial resulted in mistrial and in his second he was acquitted. Starting a couple years late, he did go on to have a successful NBA career.
1994-1995 Arizona State Point Shaving
In 1994 Las Vegas bookmakers became highly suspicious of large wagers against Arizona State University in NCAA hoops. This led to an investigation where it was found campus bookmaker Benny Silman had recruited members of the team to shave points. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Upon release, he visited American universities and warned of the dangers of gambling. His story was made into a TV movie Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie. He is played by David Krumholtz, who is best known for playing Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs.
1994-1995 Northwestern University
Former Notre Dame kicker Kevin Pendergast was in serious gambling debt when he learned from a friend Northwestern point guard Kenneth Lee might be willing to shave points. Northwestern was coming off a 5-22 season, so the scheme here was to make sure they lost by more than the point spread. Other teammates were recruited. Irregular betting patterns in Reno, Nevada led to an FBI investigation. Those involved confessed. Pendergast served two months in prison as the ring leader while the players involved served a month.
2003-2006 University of Toledo
On May 6, 2009, a federal grand jury indicted three former basketball and three former football players from University of Toledo for involvement in point shaving from 2003-2006. This was result of Adam Cuomo, who was a Toledo football team running back from 1999-2003, making multiple $500 bribes between 2003-2006 to football and basketball players in attempts to influence games. The players involved confessed and pled guilty. For example: Quinton Broussard, a Toledo running back, confessed to accepting over $2,000 cumulative including $500 to fumble the ball in a 2005 bowl game. Sentencing of those indicted range from 6-30 months.
2008-2011 University of San Diego
On April 11, 2011, ten individuals including two University of San Diego players and a coach were indicted for involvement in a point shaving scheme that according to the FBI began in 2008 and lasted until at least March 2011. Steve Goria, Richard Garmo and Paul Thweni bribed the players in order to make bets in Las Vegas. They pled guilty and will serve up five years in prison each. The players allegedly involved include USD all time leading scorer Brandon Johnson, another player Brandon Dowdy, and former assistant coach T.J. Brown.
Toledo Football Gambling Scandal 2019
Other Point Shaving Scandals
Toledo Football Gambling Scandal Today
This section has mentioned only point shaving scandals heavily covered by US media. It is quite reasonable to assume match fixing is not always detected and there have been far more fixed games in college sports than this article covers.
