Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones have been apprehended in extensive federal investigations into illicit sports wagering and Mafia-associated poker games, resulting in 34 arrests across 11 states and involving substantial financial dealings worth millions.
Rozier is purportedly involved in utilizing insider knowledge to gain profits from bets placed on at least seven NBA games between March 2023 and March 2024. In contrast, Billups is facing allegations of orchestrating underground poker games backed by various Mafia factions. Both individuals have been put on “immediate leave” by the NBA.
In addition, Jones, who played and coached for the Cavaliers and acted as an unofficial assistant coach for the Lakers during the 2022-23 NBA season, is accused of selling insider information to gamblers. His relationship with “a notable NBA player” during his tenure with the Cavaliers and the Lakers, likely identified as star LeBron James, allegedly granted him access to confidential information.
FBI Director Kash Patel deemed the fraud allegations “mind-blowing” and stated, “This resembles the insider trading scandal for the NBA.” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. described the case as “one of the most audacious sports corruption schemes since the legalization of online sports betting in the U.S.,” according to ESPN.
Prosecutors assert that in three of the seven games connected to Rozier, players purposely withdrew from participation to influence betting outcomes. The schemes allegedly hinged on collaborators who “were privy to private information known by NBA players or coaches.”
Billups and Jones are accused of functioning as “fronts” to entice participants into poker games that employed cheating technology, with the earnings benefiting members of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted, “Victims believed they were at a fair game. Instead, they were swindled out of millions.”
Both Billups and Rozier are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, each facing a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The NBA stated: “We regard these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and maintaining the integrity of our game remains our highest priority.”
The Trail Blazers acknowledged the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups and confirmed that they are fully cooperating with the investigation, appointing assistant Tiago Splitter as the interim head coach.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, claimed his client is “not a gambler” and is eager to “prove his innocence.”
Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, affirmed that he would not endanger his hall-of-fame legacy, reputation, or freedom “for anything, especially a game of cards,” adding, “Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games to provide inside information, nor would he undermine the trust of his team and the league, which would tarnish the game he has dedicated his life to.”
The arrests have reignited attention to betting markets. Amid these high-profile cases, Las Vegas bookmakers have uncovered numerous point-shaving scandals over the years and historically have acted as watchdogs for professional and college sports.
Westgate vice president John Murray stated, “If this were to happen here, we would be the ones suffering the consequences. We would be the ones, in a literal sense, paying out and losing our money,” adding, “I’m always astonished by people who earn this kind of money getting involved in such activities,” as reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Some U.S. sportsbooks noted a “peculiar surge of under money” associated with Rozier in one of the flagged games. Matthew Holt of U.S. Integrity referred to the activity as “very unusual.”
The American Gaming Association’s chief, Bill Miller, remarked that the revelations serve as a “stark reminder of the widespread and predatory illegal market.” He emphasized that the regulated legal market provides transparency, oversight, and cooperation with authorities that assist in exposing wrongdoers.
Industry executives noted that the expansion of player prop markets has broadened avenues for manipulation. Jeff Sherman of SuperBook expressed, “We’ve never even considered offering wagers related to the issues being scrutinized here.” However, Murray warned that banning player props would simply redirect “all the action to illegal sportsbooks.”
Federal investigations are ongoing, including inquiries related to the Jontay Porter betting case, with prosecutors indicating additional developments are forthcoming.