The NBA’s Gambling Scandals Now Involve La Cosa Nostra
The NBA’s regular season tipped off on Tuesday night with some spectacular performances, but by Thursday morning, few people were talking about the games.
At a Thursday morning press conference, FBI director Kash Patel announced 31 arrests in two separate gambling schemes, which may define the off-court conversation around the league this year. Among those charged are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups, a former star player and current coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The first scheme is fairly straightforward, and it doesn’t come as much of a surprise for hard-core basketball fans. It allegedly involved six people, including Rozier and former Cleveland Cavalier Damon Jones, and was active between December 2022 and March 2024. During that period, the gambling ring would allegedly bet on “inside, non-public information” to make millions on bets on individual players. On certain nights, players “would pull themselves out early for purported injuries,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. By betting the under on the house line for a player’s stats that night, the gamblers in the know could cash in. Rozier, who has been under investigation since the beginning of this year, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The second alleged scheme is a little more old-school and a lot more interesting. It involves a “wide, sweeping criminal enterprise that envelops both the NBA and La Cosa Nostra,” per Patel. Beginning in 2019, Gambino, Bonanno, and Genovese crime families allegedly ran a poker game, employing former NBA players to draw in rich people, who were distracted by the star power and had no idea they were being fleeced via elaborate cheating technology. The tech included poker-chip trays with a hidden camera to read cards, special contact lenses allowing players to read pre-marked cards, and an X-ray table that could read cards face down. Over the years, prosecutors say the poker players were cheated out of some $7 million. The accused face charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion.
These aren’t the first gambling allegations to rock pro leagues in recent years, as mobile betting apps like DraftKings and FanDuel became part of the fabric of American sports. But the people involved are unusually high-profile. A few years ago, Rozier was averaging over 23 points per game, and he is expected to make more than $26 million this year. Just last year, Billups was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his playing career, which included an NBA Finals MVP in 2004 and five All Star appearances.
Actually, these aren’t the first gambling allegations surrounding the NBA to involve organized crime this year. In July, former NBA All Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested for his suspected role in a poker game held at his mansion outside Los Angeles, which was part of a long-running scheme allegedly involving members of the Israeli mob. Arenas has pleaded not guilty, while Billups has not yet entered a plea. In a statement, Rozier’s attorney said he “looks forward to winning this fight.” Soon after the charges were made public, the NBA announced that Rozier and Billups would be placed on “immediate leave.”