In a major federal crackdown, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Thursday that it has arrested more than 30 individuals in connection with two intertwined gambling schemes — one involving illegal sports betting using insider information, and the other a rigged high-stakes poker operation backed by mafia families.
Among those charged are Terry Rozier, guard for the Miami Heat, who is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering by providing non-public NBA injury information so that co-conspirators could place bets. In a separate but linked case, Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and NBA Hall of Famer, is charged with participating in a nationwide underground poker ring allegedly rigged with manipulated shuffling machines and hidden equipment, connected to at least three major crime families.
Officials say the sports‐betting scheme operated between early 2023 and March 2024, and that the poker operation targeted unsuspecting gamblers with the draw of celebrity athletes. Prosecutors described the cases as “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widespread.” The NBA and teams involved are now bracing for fallout as the investigation continues.
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