SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The shadow of the NBA’s biggest gambling scandal in decades looms large over Levi’s Stadium, even as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots finalize their game plans for Sunday. With Americans poised to wager a record-breaking $150 billion this year, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe isn’t just talking point spreads; she’s talking defense—specifically, defense against the kind of “nefarious behavior” that landed Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in federal court.
The $675 Billion Shadow War
In an exclusive interview with CNN Sports on Friday, Howe didn’t mince words about the stakes. While 39 states now operate within legal frameworks, a massive unregulated market continues to thrive underground. Howe pegs the value of this black market at a staggering $675 billion—a figure that dwarfs the legal handle and operates without the safeguards currently protecting the NFL’s biggest night.
“We identified nefarious behavior on the platform five hours before the game happened, and we suspended those and shut them down,” Howe said, referencing the detection systems that flagged the irregularities in the Rozier case. The NBA star, who was arrested in October 2025 alongside other high-profile figures, currently faces federal charges for allegedly conspiring to fix prop bets. While Rozier has pleaded not guilty and recently won a $26.6 million salary arbitration case against the league, the incident remains a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in modern sports.
“It’s why we have official partnerships with the NFL… to manage that. And we still have 50% of the US, including California, that’s not legal, and that’s an important part of why we want to legalize – to bring that behavior into the light of day.” — Amy Howe, FanDuel CEO
Super Bowl LX: The Prop Bet frenzy
Despite the serious tone regarding integrity, the action on the field is driving unprecedented volume. Sportsbooks report heavy money flowing toward a Seahawks victory, with bettors anticipating a high-scoring shootout against the Patriots. But the wagers aren’t limited to touchdowns and field goals.
The “prop bet” menu for Super Bowl LX covers everything from the length of the “Star-Spangled Banner” to the outcome of the coin toss. Even the halftime show setlist is on the board. This granularity is exactly where Howe’s teams are focused. The systems designed to catch a fix in a Tuesday night NBA game are now running at maximum capacity for the most-watched event on the planet.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
Sunday’s game in Santa Clara does more than decide a champion; it serves as the ultimate stress test for the integrity of US sports betting. With California still sitting on the sidelines of legalization—a point Howe noted with visible frustration—the industry faces a unique challenge. A scandal-free Super Bowl could accelerate the push to open the Golden State’s market. However, any hint of irregularity, similar to the Rozier allegations, could pump the brakes on expansion nationwide. For now, the books are open, the lines are moving, and the surveillance algorithms are blinking green.
