U.S. details gambling cases involving pro athletes and mafia families

Something being illegal doesn't mean you just go to prison for it.

It doesn't matter what I think about gambling, the charges range across a number of things aren't just someone simply placing a bet.

As for corked bat and such, none of that is the case and I've no idea where you are going with that.

I wonder if you read the article.

While it makes perfect sense to me that cheating (including steroid use) or throwing a game in sports should be 100% legal (modulo contractual agreements with a league), if I'm reading correctly, the issue is that the people involved also had some connection to the gambling, which seems more fraud-adjacent. The linked article is basically impossible to follow though so unclear if that's a correct interpretation.

You're right that there has to be a connection now, and this uncertainty is part of the problem. If the connection is a crime, then what about that connection hurts someone? How can the government maintain the rule of law in this type of market? If a player bets me that he won't play more than 10 minutes, what does fraud even mean? Sure, he has every right to walk off the court when he's tired of playing. Even if he double-pinky promises to play for as long as he can, why endure the charade?

These are not arms-length transactions that contribute to the production of valuable goods and services. All it does is invite moral hazards into existing markets.

The real moral qualm that the public generally has is with the cheating / steroids / etc., which isn't a crime. However, those who want to deal in gambling are riding on that moral outrage to prosecute people for gambling in a way that other gamblers didn't like.

Fundamentally, gambling is a den of liars and cheats. If it's going to be legal, then make it legal... including the fraud. Let people know that, sure you're allowed to gamble on poker, and the other guy is also allowed to cheat. The government should not waste resources guaranteeing that everyone's gambling is free of cheating nor spend time investigating whether Player 1 was really injured when he took a knee in the 4th quarter, or if Player 2 took a peek at Player 3's cards. The nation isn't a casino. That type of law enforcement does not provide a valuable contribution to society.