Current and Former NBA Stars Among Dozens Arrested in Massive Sports Betting and Poker Fraud Probe

Chauncey Billups, a Hall of Fame NBA player and head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, a guard with the Miami Heat, were two of more than 30 people indicted in two federal gambling investigations that were connected to the league and the Mafia.

More than 30 individuals—including NBA veteran and current coach Chauncey Billups and active guard Terry Rozier—have been arrested in a sweeping federal investigation into illegal sports wagering and rigged poker games, U.S. prosecutors announced.

The arrests, unsealed in Brooklyn, stem from two related investigations that allegedly spanned years, involved tens of millions of illicit dollars, and featured violence, extortion, money-laundering, and insider sports betting. One case focused on NBA insider information being fed to bettors, while the other involved fixing high-stakes poker games nationwide via sophisticated technology.

Rozier Accused of Feeding Tips

Prosecutors allege Terry Rozier provided non-public information ahead of games to criminal associates who then placed massive wagers through straw bettors.

In one alleged incident from March 2023, Rozier purportedly told associates in advance he would leave a game early with an injury so that bets could be placed on his statistical totals not being reached—an alleged US$200,000 wager region. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, this represents “the insider trading saga for the NBA.”

Billups, Poker Rigging Allegations

Meanwhile, Chauncey Billups—who played 17 NBA seasons and won a title with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 before later becoming head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers—was charged in a separate indictment. Prosecutors contend he helped orchestrate rigged poker games in New York, Las Vegas, Miami, and elsewhere, using devices including fraudulent shufflers and X-ray tables to defraud players who believed they were playing a fair game.

Alleged involvement by the city’s major Mafia families—the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese outfits—was also disclosed. These groups reportedly extorted debts, laundered cryptocurrency proceeds, and took a cut of the gambling-game profits.

Overlapping Schemes, Shared Defendants

Although the sports betting and poker-rigging cases are separate, they overlap in personnel. Among those charged in both cases is former NBA player and coach Damon Jones, the office of Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said.

In response to the charges, the NBA placed both Rozier and Billups on leave while stating that it would cooperate fully with the investigation. “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the league said.

The Trail Blazers announced that assistant coach Tiago Splitter will serve as interim head coach. Meanwhile, Rozier’s attorney, James Trusty, issued a statement saying prosecutors appear to be “taking the word of spectacularly incredible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing.” He noted his client had previously been cleared by the NBA.

Broader Implications for Betting and Sports Integrity

The arrests amplify scrutiny on the relationship between legal sports-betting markets and professional leagues. With the gradual legalization of sports gambling across the U.S., leagues like the NBA have grown cautious about prop bets and player-specific wagers. Commissioner Adam Silver earlier said the league supports increased federal regulation and has asked some operators to limit prop bets on less established players.

Gaming partner FanDuel, one of the top betting websites in the world and the most-downloaded sports betting app in the US right now, called the allegations “deeply disturbing” and emphasized its commitment to rooting out abuse.

This latest legal action follows previous high-profile cases in the major U.S. sports leagues. For example, Jontay Porter, a forward for the Toronto Raptors and now a former NBA player, was banned and pleaded guilty in 2024 for manipulating performance to aid betting schemes—an incident prosecutors say ties into the new indictments.

What’s Next

Billups, 49, is expected to make an initial court appearance in Portland. Rozier, 31, and in his 11th NBA season with a $26.6 million salary this year, was arrested in Orlando, Florida, where the Heat were playing Wednesday night, and is due in court in the coming days.

As the legal process unfolds, the NBA, teams, and betting operators will likely face increased regulatory and public-relations pressure. For fans and stakeholders alike, the message is clear: sports integrity isn’t just about fair play on the court—it extends to how games are bet on, reported, and safeguarded.