US authorities announced several high-profile arrests on Thursday, including of a star player and a coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), for alleged illegal sports betting. Among those in custody are Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, both of whom were reportedly arrested after their teams' games on Wednesday.
The arrests are part of a sweeping investigation into illegal gambling that produced two indictments, the FBI said — one into players who are allegedly faking injuries to influence betting odds, and another involving an illegal poker ring tied to organised crime.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the allegations to reporters as 'mind-boggling'. They include indictments in two major cases, both involving fraud. The first case is called 'operation nothing but bet,' in which players and associates allegedly used insider information to manipulate wagers on major sports betting platforms. In some cases, players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure those bets were paid out, according to New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The second case is more complex and involved four of the five major crime families in New York as well as professional athletes. The accused in that case are alleged to have participated in a scheme to rig illegal poker games and steal millions of dollars using 'very sophisticated' technology including off-the-shelf shuffling machines and X-ray tables that could read cards that were face down.
Authorities began probing these poker games in 2019, spanning multiple locations including the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan. The alleged scheme involved 34 defendants, with six charged in the first case of players allegedly faking injuries to influence betting odds, including Rozier. Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested and is said to be involved in two games that were part of the scheme.
The NBA has issued a statement acknowledging the ongoing investigation and mentioned that Rozier and Billups are on immediate leave. 'We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,' the league stated.
This investigation highlights the resurgence of organized crime's presence in the gambling sector, particularly through the activities linked to New York's notorious 'Five Families,' which have continued to exert influence despite law enforcement efforts over the years.
