More than 30 individuals, including a current National Basketball Association (NBA) head coach, an active player, and alleged members of notorious organised crime families, have been arrested following a sweeping federal investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged high-stakes poker.
The “massive, nationwide takedown,” announced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday, spans 11 states and involves charges of wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, and unlawful gambling. The operation exposed two intertwined criminal operations that authorities say generated tens of millions of dollars.
The defendants include current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and assistant coach Damon Jones.
The Charges
The charges stem from two distinct but related federal indictments. The first targets an alleged insider sports betting ring that involved the use of non-public information about upcoming NBA games, while the second targets a sophisticated, Mafia-backed scheme to rig underground poker games.
In the sports betting case, Rozier and other co-conspirators are accused of receiving “insider” information from NBA sources to place lucrative bets. Authorities allege that Rozier provided advance notice to criminal partners, including a time in March 2023 when he allegedly told associates he would leave a game early with a supposed injury. This allowed them to place over $200,000 in bets that he would not reach his expected statistical totals for the game.
Speaking at a news conference, FBI Director Kash Patel described the scheme with a pointed analogy: “This is the insider trading saga for the NBA.”
The separate poker indictment charges Coach Billups with helping to rig high-stakes games. Investigators allege this operation was backed by alleged Mafia members and associates from the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families, and used sophisticated cheating methods like X-ray card tables and secret cameras to defraud wealthy, unwitting players lured in by the promise of playing against celebrities like Billups and Jones.
League’s Response and Integrity Concerns
The NBA has confirmed that both Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave from their organisations.
In a statement, the league said: “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
The high-profile arrests come amid growing concerns over the influence of both legalised and illegal gambling on professional sports. Commenting on the charges against Rozier, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch offered a stark assessment, stating: “As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched. Not for injury, but for integrity.”
Damon Jones is reportedly one of a handful of defendants charged in connection with both criminal schemes.
