Charlotte Hornets Cancel Sports Betting Night Amid Terry Rozier Federal Gambling Probe

The Charlotte Hornets canceled a Sports Betting theme night originally scheduled for March 17, 2025, coinciding with a game against the Miami Heat and former Hornets guard Terry Rozier's birthday. Rozier, now with the Heat, is under federal investigation for suspicious betting patterns linked to a March 2023 game when he was still with the Hornets, where he left early due to a foot injury, triggering large winning bets on his statistical unders. While Rozier has not been charged or accused of wrongdoing and was cleared by an NBA investigation, federal authorities continue to probe possible manipulation or insider information related to the bets. The canceled promotion drew criticism and speculation that it was an insensitive or ironic choice given the ongoing investigation, especially as it appeared to mock Rozier amid a sensitive gambling scandal. This probe is connected to a broader NBA gambling investigation that led to the lifetime ban of former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for leaking confidential information and manipulating his play for betting purposes. The Hornets did not cite the investigation when canceling the event, only stating the Sports Betting night was "no longer happening on that day."