One-Third of Americans Believe NBA Players & Coaches Influence Bets

As the latest NBA betting scandal dominates the headlines, pollsters are taking a look at what Americans think about the integrity of the games they’re watching, and the results suggest trust is wearing thin.

A new Quinnipiac University Sports Poll suggests increasing skepticism toward the NBA, with one-third of Americans believing that its players and coaches are involved in illegal activities to influence betting. 

Americans also expressed a lack of confidence in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s ability to effectively address misconduct. 

The survey, which polled 1,013 U.S. adults between October 31 and November 2, comes just weeks after Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was indicted in a federal sports-betting case tied to the NBA, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was charged in a separate gambling-related investigation, which shook public confidence in the league. 

The Quinnipiac poll was released just days after a YouGov survey found that Americans are losing faith in athletes, with most believing athletes alter their performance to benefit bettors.

Trust in NBA Appears Shaky

According to the Quinnipiac poll, 33% of Americans believe that NBA coaches and players engage in illegal betting-related activities, with 12% stating that this conduct occurs very often. In comparison, 21% say it happens somewhat often. In contrast, 66% of respondents think it happens only occasionally or rarely.

“Perception is important, and right now the NBA clearly has a perception problem,” said Nick Pietruszkiewicz, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Program Director of Sports Communications at Quinnipiac University. “It might, too, have a trust problem.”

NBA Fans See Problems but Still Hope for Fair Play

When asked to what degree they thought NBA players’ and coaches’ involvement in sports betting was a problem, 68% of respondents said it was a problem, including 32% who called it a major problem and 36% who said it’s not a major one. Another 20% described it as a minor issue, while 10% said it’s not a problem at all.

Still, the public is split on whether games are played fairly: 49% say they’re confident NBA games are fair, with 8 percent very confident and 41% somewhat confident. On the other hand, 48% expressed a lack of confidence, including 34% who aren’t so confident and 14% who have no confidence in the fairness of NBA games. 

The survey shows that fans tend to be more optimistic about the state of fair play in the NBA, with 67% being either very confident (14%) or somewhat confident (53%) that games are played fairly. These results could be good news for the NBA, since they suggest that fan loyalty might be helping sustain confidence in the league’s integrity.

Questionable Tactics & Insider Leaks

As prop bets increasingly become a source of contention within professional sports, participants were surveyed on whether they thought these types of wagers should be banned. Sixty-seven percent said they should be prohibited, while 29% believe they should be allowed.

When asked whether players intentionally miss shots, rebounds, or fake injuries to influence bets, 30% said they believe it happens, including 11% who think it occurs very often and 19% who think it happens somewhat often. However, the majority (67%) said that it doesn’t happen frequently, with 41% saying it occurs occasionally and 25% saying it happens rarely if ever.

Some survey participants believe that coaches make roster decisions to influence bets, with 28% saying it happens very often (8%) or somewhat often (20%). The majority (71%) think it happens only occasionally (38%) or rarely if ever (33%).

Insiders leaking confidential player information to alter betting lines is another concern, and 45% of respondents believe it occurs very often (15%) or somewhat often (30%), while 53% think it happens occasionally (39%) or rarely if ever (14%).

“Even with recent gambling scandals looming over the NBA season, most fans are feeling fairly confident they’re watching fair games,” said Brittani Webb, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Quinnipiac, in response to the findings. “Those feelings waver, though, as fans also recognize that legalized sports betting has opened the door to questionable tactics.”

Fans Divided, Public Confidence in Commissioner Silver Low

Just a day before the news of the latest NBA scandal broke, during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Silver called for “more regulation” of sports betting to maintain trust in the league and its players.  

Based on the results of the Quinnipiac poll, NBA fans are divided on his ability to prevent and catch players and coaches involved in illegal sports betting. 50% say they are confident he can get the job done, including 9% who are very confident and 41% who are somewhat confident, while 47% say they are not confident, including 38% who are not so confident and 9% who are not confident at all. 

The general public expressed less confidence, with 55% saying they’re not confident in Silver’s ability to prevent and catch illegal betting within the league, compared with 41% who express at least some confidence.

Professor Webb pointed out that: “With two major gambling scandals in as many years, fans and the American public are expressing doubt about Adam Silver’s ability to protect the league’s integrity amid an era defined by legalized sports betting.”

Americans Question Effects of Legalized Sports Betting

Beyond the NBA, the pollsters asked Americans about their views on sports betting in the US and what impact they think it has had on illegal conduct across sports. Respondents don’t think betting-related wrongdoing is unique in the NBA. Instead, 72% believe the illegal betting in the NBA is about the same as in other professional sports leagues. 

64% of Americans believe that legal sports betting has increased the amount of illegal gambling by players and coaches, while 28% say it has had no impact, and 5% think it has resulted in less illegal conduct.

When asked about whether the federal government is doing enough to stop players and coaches from engaging in illegal sports betting, 48% of the general public and 50% of NBA fans said it was doing about the right amount. However, 43% of the general public and 41% of fans believe the government is doing too little.

Trust on the Line

The Quinnipiac University Sports Poll was weighted to match US Census data and has a margin of error of ±3.2 percentage points for the full sample and ±5.1 percentage points for the survey of 399 self-identified NBA fans. It was conducted independently and without industry funding. 

Coming on the heels of the NBA betting scandal, its timing offers a snapshot of how an uneasy sports culture is learning to coexist with legalized betting.

While the survey shows that most Americans still trust that NBA games are being played fairly, a not insignificant number have doubts about whether players, coaches, and league officials can keep gambling from creeping into the game.