A shocking NBA gambling scandal has erupted after the FBI announced the arrests of dozens of people, including Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, in a nationwide crackdown on illegal sports betting and mafia-linked poker games.
Federal prosecutors revealed that Rozier and several other players allegedly manipulated game outcomes by faking injuries to influence betting markets, while Billups was named in a separate case involving rigged poker games with ties to New York’s most powerful mafia families.
The two high-profile figures were placed on immediate leave by the NBA, which said in a statement that it takes the allegations “with the utmost seriousness.” The league emphasized that maintaining the integrity of basketball “remains our top priority.”
NBA Players, Coaches, and the Mafia
Authorities say the NBA gambling scandal uncovered two interconnected criminal operations. The first involved six basketball players accused of insider betting and game manipulation between February 2023 and March 2024.
Prosecutors claim Rozier told associates he would exit a game early due to injury, prompting them to bet over $200,000 on his underperformance. He left after just nine minutes, reportedly earning conspirators tens of thousands in winnings.
The second case involved 31 suspects, including former athletes, who allegedly collaborated with members of the Bonanno, Genovese, and Gambino crime families to orchestrate poker games designed to cheat wealthy victims.
According to investigators, the group used marked cards, contact lenses, and even an X-ray poker table to identify winning hands. The scam reportedly defrauded players of over $7 million, with some losing as much as $1.8 million in a single night.
FBI Says “The Luck Has Run Out”
FBI Director Kash Patel described the arrests as “extraordinary,” highlighting the coordinated takedown across 11 states. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft over several years,” he said.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. called the scheme “one of the most brazen sports corruption cases since sports betting was legalized,” warning the defendants that “their winning streak has ended.”
The FBI emphasized that investigations remain ongoing, suggesting that this NBA gambling scandal could expand further as more evidence emerges.
For now, both Rozier and Billups have vowed to fight the charges. Their arrests mark one of the most serious integrity crises to hit American professional sports since the legalization of online sports betting in 2018.
