The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested dozens of individuals as part of a broad investigation into illegal sports betting and poker schemes tied to organized crime. Among those taken into custody were a current NBA player and a head coach.
On Thursday, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups faced federal indictments in separate cases.
Rozier, 31, is among six individuals charged in connection with gambling violations. Other defendants include NBA players allegedly faking injuries to influence betting markets. Billups, a Hall of Fame inductee and Portland’s coach since 2021, is one of 31 defendants in a related case involving retired players and mafia-run poker games. 
Prosecutors reported that the cases involve four of New York’s Five Families. Victims were reportedly lured into poker games with high-profile athletes, resulting in multimillion-dollar thefts. Authorities said the operation used high-tech methods, including special glasses and lenses capable of reading marked cards and X-ray tables to view face-down cards.
NBA Suspends Accused Figures
The NBA announced that Rozier and Billups would be suspended while the indictments are reviewed.
“We take these allegations extremely seriously. Protecting the integrity of our games is our top priority,” the league stated.
Rozier’s attorney denied the claims:
“Terry is not a gambler. He is ready to fight and expects to prove his innocence,” he said.
Rozier appeared in federal court in Orlando, Florida Thursday evening. Billups was arrested in Portland, Oregon and will face proceedings there.
FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference in Brooklyn, calling the arrests “extraordinary” and “a coordinated strike across 11 states.”
“This is the result of a multi-year investigation involving tens of millions of dollars in fraud, theft, and racketeering,” Patel said.
Joseph Nocera Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, reminded the public that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“Your luck has run out,” he added.
NBA Games Targeted in Investigation
The first case involves players and associates accused of using non-public information to manipulate major betting platforms.
Nocera called it “one of the most blatant sports corruption schemes since online sports betting was widely legalized.”
Seven NBA games from February 2023 to March 2024 were identified in the probe. Rozier allegedly participated in a game while with the Charlotte Hornets against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Prosecutors said Rozier informed a friend he would leave the game early due to injury. That friend and co-conspirators allegedly bet or instructed others to bet over $200,000, wagering that Rozier would underperform. Rozier left nine minutes into the game, generating tens of thousands in illicit profits.
According to official NBA reports, Rozier played only nine minutes and scored five points. His season average before the game was 35 minutes per game and 21 points.
New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said:
“As the season begins, his career is on hold—not because of injury, but due to integrity issues.”
Rozier’s lawyer James Trusty stated:
“Prosecutors relied on highly unreliable sources rather than evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA, yet the case has been reopened without merit.”
Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested. He allegedly participated in two games: February 2023’s Los Angeles Lakers vs Milwaukee Bucks, and January 2024’s Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder.
History of U.S. Sports Betting
From 1992 to 2018, most U.S. states banned sports betting under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The Supreme Court later returned regulatory power to individual states.
Since the federal ban ended, the sports betting industry has expanded rapidly. Major leagues and media companies have struck deals with sportsbooks for revenue shares.
Mafia-Linked Poker Scandal
The second indictment charges 31 people with orchestrating illegal poker games to steal millions.
The case involves members of the Bonanno, Genovese, and Gambino crime families.
Victims were lured to play in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan, and The Hamptons with former athletes such as Billups and Jones. Losses per game reached tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Authorities reported sophisticated cheating techniques, including modified shuffling machines, infrared-marked decks visible via special lenses, and X-ray tables to read face-down cards.
“Victims did not realize nearly everyone at the table—from dealers to players—was part of the scam,” Nocera said.
Commissioner Tisch added that organized crime families used threats to enforce payments. Charges include robbery, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud, and illegal gambling.
Officials estimate the total stolen exceeded $7 million, with one victim losing $1.8 million.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Christopher Laya, Assistant Director at the FBI New York Field Office.
“We are working around the clock to ensure mafia families cannot continue to disrupt our communities.”
