Online bookmakers were faced with a betting scandal last weekend after results of the NBA 2K Players Tournament were leaked online before airing on ESPN. Though the tournament appeared to broadcast live, the first-round games were actually pre-recorded.
The first round, which featured 16 NBA stars such as Kevin Durant and Trae Young, aired on ESPN last Friday night. Online sportsbook MyBookie was forced to suspend betting on the video game tournament after results were leaked beforehand.
“It became clear that somebody knew something, and that the results had been leaked,” David Strauss, head oddsmaker at MyBookie.ag, told Reuters. “That’s a nightmare scenario for us. When a result is compromised, we close the lines and look for the info ourselves. “It’s almost always in the forums or on Twitter.”
According to Reuters, income for some gambling companies has dropped as much as 80% during the coronavirus pandemic as sporting events have come to a halt. Robert Cooper, odds manager at SportsBetting.ag, says his online sportsbook became aware that the 2K tournament results were leaked after a large sum of bets were placed on No. 16 seed Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. to beat top-seeded Durant. Jones won, 78-62.
“We initially made Durant the favorite to win the tournament but when .... the bets were completely one-sided toward Jones, it became obvious that someone knew the outcome of the game,” Cooper said, according to Reuters.
SportsBetting.ag reportedly lost a sum in the low five-figures from compromised betting activity on the tournament’s first-round games. Online bookmakers such as BetMGM, FanDuel, and DraftKings also offered bracket challenges on the 2K tournament. The tournament’s quarterfinals will air April 9 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and the ESPN app.
