New York, NY (Best E Casino) - The NBA released the results of a review of the league's embattled officiating program Thursday in the wake of the Tim Donaghy scandal.

Donaghy, a former NBA referee, received a 15-month prison sentence for his role in betting on NBA games.

Lawrence B. Pedowitz, a former chief of the Criminal Division in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, was appointed by the NBA to review the officiating program and make recommendations.

Following a 14-month investigation, Pedowitz recommended significant changes, but found no evidence of illegal activity by any referees other than Donaghy.

The 116-page report recommended strengthening the NBA's anti-gambling rules, improving the enforcement of these rules and creating a "culture of compliance" among all league and team employees, including through the reorganization of the management of the referee program and the creation of an anonymous hotline for gambling information.

The report also said the league should increase monitoring of games for suspicious activity, and should increase efforts to eliminate the perception of referee bias by making more information available about the referee program and increasing access to the referees by fans and media.

"We are very appreciative of the effort by Mr. Pedowitz and his staff considering the extraordinary nature of the review," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "Mr. Pedowitz, who together with his team conducted approximately 200 interviews, was given the broadest possible mandate and was provided unfettered access to our employees, records, data and video library to ensure the independence and thoroughness of his report.

"We welcome the recommendations from Mr. Pedowitz in areas where we can improve -- all of which will be adopted, and many of which have already been adopted, including the hiring of Army Major General (Ret.) Ronald L. Johnson as the senior vice president, referee operations. These measures are a beginning, not an end. We know that the NBA's success hinges on the integrity of our sport and on competition that allows teams to win based on their own skill and performance. We expect nothing less from our referees than the highest level of accuracy, professionalism and integrity."

Meanwhile, Stern has also asked Pedowitz to review the new program at the end of the upcoming season.

"I have asked Mr. Pedowitz to continue his service by reviewing our program at the end of the season to ensure that it comports with his recommendations and aspires to the highest levels of integrity."