NEW YORK (Diya TV) – Two major figures in the NBA world were arrested Thursday in a sweeping federal gambling investigation that links underground poker wheels and insider sports bets to organized crime networks.
Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, guard for the Miami Heat, are among 34 people charged in two related schemes that officials say involved rigged poker games backed by Mafia families and illegal sports-betting scams tied to inside NBA information.
In one case, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella Jr., called the sports-betting scheme “one of the most brazen sports-corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized.” In the other, the underground poker operation was alleged to be backed by the Bonanno , Gambino , and Genovese crime families.
According to the indictment, Billups is not accused of betting on NBA games. Instead, he faces charges in the poker scheme that spanned Manhattan, Las Vegas, the Hamptons, and other venues. Former players reportedly used technology to rig games.
Billups allegedly acted as a “face card” to attract wealthy participants to the rigged games. The poker set-up allegedly used altered shuffling machines, x-ray tables, and marked cards to cheat players. He is charged with wire-fraud conspiracy, money-laundering, and illegal gambling offences.
In the sports-betting case, Rozier is accused of helping pass private information from NBA players or coaches to bettors who used that knowledge to wager on game outcomes and player performance.
One example alleged by law enforcement: while playing for another team in March 2023, Rozier reportedly told someone he planned to leave a game early for a “supposed injury,” allowing bettors to place large wagers on his underperformance. He, too, faces wire-fraud and money-laundering charges.
The arrests came just a day after the Trail Blazers’ season opener, a 118-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, in which Billups coached. Rozier was taken into custody in Orlando after his team’s opener, where he did not play in a 125-121 loss to the Orlando Magic. Neither the NBA nor the Trail Blazers nor the Heat had issued immediate public comments.
Authorities say the investigation exposes deep vulnerabilities in the legal sports-betting framework and the integrity of the game. The FBI and New York law enforcement officials say this broad scheme involved multiple organized crime families and athlete-insiders.
The NBA has previously warned about prop bets and players manipulating game performance. This case may force stricter oversight of athletes, coaches, and betting activity across the league.
Billups and Rozier are expected to appear in federal court for initial proceedings. The indictments are likely to unfold further details as prosecutors work through dozens of defendants in both cases. Both men face serious criminal exposure. If convicted, they could face years in prison and damage to their professional reputations.
