NBA and Mafia-linked gambling scandal: What happened

Professional basketball was rocked this week after federal authorities arrested NBA Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and assistant coach Damon Jones. They were among 30 individuals, including alleged mobsters, charged in two sprawling gambling schemes.

The arrests came in the opening week of the NBA season.

The charges

Chauncey Billups – Charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes poker games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families. Authorities said the scheme cheated gamblers out of at least $7 million.

Terry Rozier – Accused of exploiting private NBA player information to win bets on games.

Damon Jones – Accused of participating in both the poker and NBA betting schemes.

Other defendants – Many faced charges for violent crimes or ties to organized crime. Most pleaded not guilty.

All three face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges.

Gambling in the NBA era

Legalized sports betting exists in 38 US states and has grown rapidly since the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in 2018.

Online betting through apps like DraftKings and FanDuel is the biggest growth area.

Legal sports betting generated $10 billion in revenue through the third quarter of this year, a 19% rise from last year.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the arrests are “deeply disturbing,” emphasizing the importance of protecting the integrity of competition.

The Poker Scheme: How games were rigged

Illegal high-stakes poker games were operated by New York crime families (Gambino, Genovese, Bonanno).

Games were often held in upscale Manhattan locations, like “The Lexington Avenue Game.”

Players were attracted by the chance to compete with pro athletes and coaches, dubbed “face cards.”

Cheating technology

Advanced shuffling machines determined the order of cards and tracked who held the winning hands.

Information was transmitted wirelessly to an on-site player, known as “the quarterback.”

Subtle hand signals, like touching specific chips, relayed information to accomplices.

Other tools allegedly used included:

-X-ray tables to read face-down cards.

-Hidden cameras in chip trays.

-Customized contact lenses and glasses with special card-detection capabilities.

Money flow

Cheaters shared a percentage of winnings with the game operators.

Victims were instructed to wire money to shell companies, often under threats of robbery, extortion, or assault.

The NBA betting scheme

Rozier and Jones allegedly provided insider information about player injuries or game absences to enable bets on game outcomes or individual player performances.

Players sometimes altered their performance or exited games early to affect prop bets, such as total points, rebounds, or assists.

Defendants allegedly shared details about LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Damian Lillard, though those players are not accused of any wrongdoing.

Legal proceedings

Billups appeared in Portland, Oregon, and Rozier in Orlando, Florida. Both were released on conditions.

Billups’ attorney denied the allegations, calling him a “man of integrity” unlikely to risk his Hall of Fame legacy.

Rozier’s lawyer emphasized that Rozier is “not a gambler” and criticized the arrest as a publicity move.

Roughly 20 other defendants appeared in federal court in Brooklyn, many of whom were detained due to violent criminal records or ties to organized crime.

NBA response

Billups and Rozier were placed on leave by their teams. The Blazers named Tiago Splitter interim head coach.

Commissioner Adam Silver and other NBA officials stressed the importance of integrity, but the season continued as scheduled.

The NBA mandates annual gambling education for all players, coaches, and staff.

Wider implications

- The case highlights the risks of legalized sports betting, especially for leagues partnering with online sportsbooks.

-The NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL had initially opposed legalization due to potential integrity risks.

-The arrests underscore that even well-intentioned players and coaches can be targeted or exploited by criminal networks.

(With Agencies inputs)