A sweeping FBI investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games has led to the arrests of more than 30 individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
Authorities say the probe uncovered two interconnected schemes involving insider sports betting and poker game manipulation, both allegedly tied to New York’s Mafia families and NBA insiders.
FBI: “This Is the Insider Trading Saga for the NBA”
At a press conference in Brooklyn, FBI Director Kash Patel described the investigation as one of the most extensive in recent sports history, revealing tens of millions of dollars in illegal profits from wire fraud, money laundering, and gambling operations.
Rozier allegedly provided confidential NBA game information to a network of gamblers who used straw bettors to place wagers.
In one instance from March 2023, Rozier reportedly informed associates he would leave a game early due to a fabricated injury. Those associates then placed $200,000 in bets that he would fail to reach statistical targets — bets that paid out when he exited early.
“This is the insider trading saga for the NBA,” Patel said. “The parallels to Wall Street corruption are striking — only this time, the market was professional basketball.”
Billups Charged in Nationwide Rigged Poker Scheme
In a separate but related indictment, Chauncey Billups was charged with helping rig high-stakes poker games across cities including New York, Las Vegas, and Miami.
Authorities say the games were advertised as celebrity poker events but secretly manipulated using high-tech equipment, such as x-ray tables and fraudulent card shufflers, to cheat unsuspecting players.
Prosecutors allege that the operation was backed by several New York Mafia families — including the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese organizations — who took a percentage of the profits, used extortion to collect debts, and laundered money through cryptocurrency and offshore accounts.
Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said some individuals were charged in both cases, including former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones, suggesting crossover between the basketball and gambling networks.
NBA Responds: “Integrity of Our Game Remains Top Priority”
The NBA confirmed that both Billups and Rozier have been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the investigation.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the league said in a statement.
Rozier’s lawyer, James Trusty, dismissed the charges as “baseless,” claiming prosecutors relied on “spectacularly incredible sources rather than evidence.”
“Terry was cleared by the NBA before, and now prosecutors are reviving that non-case,” Trusty said.
Broader Scrutiny of Sports Betting in the U.S.
The case has intensified scrutiny of the rapidly growing sports betting industry in the U.S. Since legalization expanded in recent years, professional leagues have partnered with sportsbooks to drive revenue — but regulators and lawmakers worry about player manipulation and insider access.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently told ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show that he supports tighter federal oversight and urged sportsbooks to restrict “prop bets” that allow wagers on individual player stats, which are more vulnerable to tampering.
A History of Gambling Scandals in American Sports
The arrests echo a troubling pattern of gambling-related controversies across major U.S. sports leagues:
- Jontay Porter, a former NBA player, was banned for life in 2024 after admitting to fixing games for profit.
- Pete Rose, MLB’s all-time hits leader, was banned in 1989 for betting on baseball — only to be posthumously reinstated in 2025 after lobbying from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Experts warn that as sports betting becomes more intertwined with professional leagues, ethics enforcement and transparency must evolve to prevent further scandals.
About the Defendants
- Chauncey Billups, 49, is in his fifth season as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. A five-time NBA All-Star, he led the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA Championship, earning Finals MVP honors.
- Terry Rozier, 31, currently plays for the Miami Heat. Over his 11-year NBA career, he has averaged 13.9 points per game and was earning $26.6 million this season, according to Spotrac.
Rozier was arrested in Orlando, Florida, following the Heat’s game against the Magic, while Billups was taken into custody in Portland and is expected to appear in federal court.
Leave a Reply