By Alex Rivera, EEW Magazine Staff Writer

*FBI Director Kash Patel announces arrests of NBA figures in illegal gambling probe at press conference. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images*

What to Know:

Federal authorities charged over 30 people, including NBA coach Chauncey Billups and guard Terry Rozier, in schemes involving insider betting and rigged poker games linked to organized crime.
The multi-year FBI probe revealed fraud exceeding tens of millions, exploiting NBA secrets and high-tech cheating to defraud victims.
The NBA placed implicated figures on leave, highlighting risks in the booming legal sports betting industry amid calls for stronger safeguards.

Federal authorities unsealed indictments on Thursday charging more than 30 people, including prominent NBA figures, in two connected schemes tied to illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by Mafia families, according to Associated Press reports.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups (L) and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (R) are among more than 30 people charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia, authorities said.

The arrests delivered a major blow to the league as its new season began. They stemmed from a multi-year FBI investigation.

Prosecutors in New York called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.” Losses exceeded $7 million from the poker racket alone, with overall fraud reaching tens of millions.

One scheme used confidential NBA information about injuries and player availability for fraudulent bets. It focused on prop wagers such as points scored or rebounds. In a March 2023 example, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier—then with the Charlotte Hornets—allegedly told co-conspirators he would exit a game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing them to profit on bets against him.

Pictured Above: Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter plays against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 18, 2024. A New York man was later charged in a betting scandal that led to Porter’s lifetime NBA ban. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Similar tactics targeted games involving Damian Lillard, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. Their injury statuses were leaked before public announcements. None are accused of wrongdoing, and they were unaware of the misuse.

The poker scheme, running since at least 2019, spanned locations from Las Vegas to Manhattan. Defendants allegedly used altered card shufflers with hidden readers, X-ray tables, marked cards visible with special lenses, and real-time coaching via text messages.

The games were backed by the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families. Wealthy players were drawn in with celebrity “face cards.” Debts were enforced through threats and violence. A 2023 game in Manhattan escalated into an armed brawl between rival mobsters.

*Former NBA player Damon Jones, pictured above with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006, was arrested as part of a federal gambling investigation. Ron Hoskins / NBAE via Getty Images file*

Proceeds were laundered through shell companies and cryptocurrency, blending old mob tactics with modern tools.

Among those charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy are three NBA-connected figures. Rozier, 30, was arrested in Orlando after a game against the Magic. He is accused of sharing insider information and faking an injury. Rozier previously met with NBA and FBI officials in 2023 and was cleared at the time.

His attorney, Jim Trusty, called the arrest a “perp walk” for “misplaced glory.” Trusty said: “It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender, they opted for a photo op.”

Chauncey Billups, 49, Portland Trail Blazers head coach and a 2024 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, is charged in the poker scheme. Prosecutors say he acted as a “face card,” winning rigged hands and receiving payments such as a $50,000 wire in 2020. The allegations come months after the team extended his contract in April despite a sub-.500 record.

Damon Jones, 49, a former NBA player and Lakers assistant coach, faces charges in both schemes. He is accused of leaking injury details on players including James and Davis and taking part in rigged poker games with remote coaching.

The indictments also name Rozier's friend, alleged bettors posing as social media experts, and 12 Mafia members. They reference unnamed co-conspirators, including active NBA players from Florida and Oregon, a Rozier relative, and former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter.

At a news conference, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr., FBI Director Kash Patel, and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch discussed the case. Patel said the fraud is “mind-boggling.” He added: “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.”

Tisch said: “Bringing four of the five families together in a single indictment is extraordinarily rare.” apnews.com

Prosecutors are seeking detention for 13 defendants over mob ties and flight risks, and strict bail conditions for others. apnews.com

The NBA placed Rozier and Billups on leave. The Trail Blazers appointed Tiago Splitter as interim coach and canceled practice. The league pledged full cooperation, stressing the importance of game integrity amid what it called a “massive cloud” over the season.

The National Basketball Players Association urged respect for due process. “The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence,” the union said in a statement. apnews.com

FanDuel, a leading betting platform, called the revelations “deeply disturbing” and pointed to the importance of regulated markets with monitoring systems to detect fraud.

The scandal intensifies scrutiny of legal betting. Polling shows growing concern over its societal harms despite state revenue benefits.

The case recalls the 1919 Black Sox scandal and more recent betting controversies involving Shohei Ohtani's onetime interpreter who was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar to pay off gambling losses. The latest scandal spotlights prop bets as a key weak point open to manipulation, increasing the risk of backlash against athletes.

Court appearances are expected soon. Both the NBA and the betting industry face mounting pressure to tighten safeguards and restore trust in the sport.