On Oct. 23, 2025, a sweeping federal crackdown rocked the NBA and its sports-betting connections. More than 30 individuals were indicted in two ongoing investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, although many of these individuals remain unnamed. These investigations follow illegal gambling networks, including rigged underground poker matches and insider betting on NBA games.
One of the investigations centers on a highly organized network of poker fraud perpetrated by organized crime families, including the Bonannos, Genoveses, and Gambinos. According to prosecutors, the network ran high-stakes underground poker games across New York City, the Hamptons, Miami, and Las Vegas, using former NBA and NFL players as “face cards” to draw in wealthier targets, who were called “fish”.
High-tech cheating equipment was then allegedly used to fix games: pre-marked playing cards, rigged shuffling devices with card-readers, X-ray tables to ‘see’ cards from beneath the table felt, and special contact lenses for the conspirators. Information about hands was then relayed to an off-site operator, who then sent the information to a conspirator in the room with the game, who signaled the information to the “face cards”. Victims were reportedly defrauded out of millions of dollars.
At the same time, another investigation alleges misuse of insider NBA information for sports betting: one former player is accused of providing non-public injury and/or lineup data so bets could be placed ahead of official releases. One active player is alleged to have faked an injury to exit a game and purposefully underformed to enable under-betting on his own performances.
Individuals who have been charged and named include Chauncey Billups, a recent Hall of Famer (2024) and current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Billups is linked to the rigged poker games as being one of the “face cards”. Another former NBA veteran, Damon Jones, allegedly used his connections within the league to distribute insider knowledge for various games, including the Lakers and Thunder (known games at this time). Jones was also said to have participated in the poker scheme.
Lastly, active NBA guard Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat is implicated in allegedly providing personal injury details and making bets tied to his performance, most of which were betting on him to have a bad game. In turn, Rozier would intentionally miss shots or turn the ball over. These allegations come just a year after Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter orchestrated a sports betting scandal, leaking his injury information to outside gamblers, who placed bets on him to underperform, and he intentionally left games early to ensure these bets won.
The scale of these cases has prompted the NBA to launch a comprehensive review of its sports-betting policies. A memo to all 30 teams outlined concerns that newer betting markets are especially vulnerable to manipulation. The league noted that as legalized sports betting becomes widespread in the U.S., the risk to integrity grows. For the Trailblazers and Billups specifically, the fallout is immediate: Billups has been placed on leave while legal proceedings play out, and the team is facing reputational damage. Rozier is also on leave from the Miami Heat.
This particular case showed the vulnerability that could exist between professional sports and organized gambling. When former players, coaches, or insiders are implicated in schemes that exploit both game outcomes and side-betting markets, the risk is not just financial but legal. This problem reaches well beyond the world of professional basketball, but all professional sporting organizations. This is a wake-up call for every league. It has become more important than ever to watch over both the world of sports betting as well as player conduct.
These arrests are only the beginning. Many of those indicted have not had their names made public in court filings. For the NBA and its community of stakeholders, the next level of engagement will include enforcement efforts as well as increased monitoring of both on-court activity, as well as off-court activity. For supporters and fans, this scandal serves as a reminder that these events can entertain us but remain susceptible to forces that can undermine their fundamentals. The coming months will show how effectively the NBA can restore integrity and accountability.