What we know about NBA gambling and rigged poker game arrests

The case, which involves extensive illegal betting schemes that the FBI says involves National Basketball Association (NBA) stars and the New York Mafia, could be headed for a plea deal, a Brooklyn judge has heard.

Miami Heat player Terry Rozier has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His bail is set at $3 million (£2.2 million).

The judge said the case – one of two alleged schemes that led to the arrest of 34 people – will be put on hold while plea negotiations for some of the defendants take place.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups previously pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in a separate illegal poker operation linked to the mob.

The FBI's investigation into two alleged schemes is reminiscent of a Hollywood movie, involving X-ray tables during high-stakes poker games and rigged bets on NBA players' performances. They were allegedly connected to some of New York's notorious “Five Families” who ruled the city's mafia for decades.

Here's what we know.

FBI Director Cash Patel called the allegations to reporters “stunning.”

They include indictments in two major cases, both of which involve fraud, officials said.

The first case is referred to as a “nothing but bet” operation, in which players and partners allegedly used inside information to manipulate bets on major sports betting platforms.

In some cases, players changed their scores or quit the game to ensure bets were paid out, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. These bets generated tens of thousands of dollars in profits.

The second case is more complex, involving four of New York's five major crime families, as well as professional athletes, officials said.

The defendants in this case allegedly participated in a scheme to operate illegal poker games and steal millions of dollars.

They did this using “highly sophisticated” technology, including off-the-shelf card-shuffling machines, special contact lenses and glasses for reading pre-marked cards, authorities said. They also used an X-ray table that could read face-down cards.

Victims were allegedly lured into playing these games with former professional athletes who acted as “face cards” in the scheme. The victims were unaware that everyone, including the dealer and other players, was involved in the scam.

Authorities said they began investigating these poker games in 2019 in several locations, including the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan.

The defendants allegedly laundered profits through bank transfers and cryptocurrencies.

They also allegedly committed acts of violence, including robberies at gunpoint and extortion against victims.

Both schemes totaled tens of millions of dollars in thefts and robberies over several years and in 11 states, authorities said.

In all, authorities said 34 defendants were charged in the two fraud cases.

Six people were charged in the first case in which players allegedly faked injuries to influence betting odds, including Miami Heat guard Rozier. Rozier is in the final season of a four-year, $96 million contract.

New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Rozier, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets, told loved ones in March 2023 that he planned to leave the game early due to a suspected injury.

Members of the group then used the information to place fraudulent bets and receive large sums of money, she said.

Speaking after the arrest, Commissioner Tisch stated that “Rosier's career has already been put on hold, not because of injury, but because of integrity.”

Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested. He allegedly participated in two games that were part of the scheme: when the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks in February 2023, and in a January 2024 game between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jones retired from playing years ago, but has since worked as an assistant coach and in media positions in the NBA world. Jones has pleaded not guilty to charges covering both alleged betting schemes.

One alleged incident cited in the indictment alleges that Jones shared inside information with players that a prominent NBA player was missing an upcoming game due to injury.

Authorities have identified a total of seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 that were part of the first case:

• February 9, 2023 – Los Angeles Lakers – Milwaukee Bucks

• March 23, 2023 – Charlotte Hornets – New Orleans Pelicans

• March 24, 2023 – Portland Trail Blazers – Chicago Bulls

• April 6, 2023 – Orlando Magic – Cleveland Cavaliers

• January 15, 2024 – Los Angeles Lakers – Oklahoma City Thunder

• January 26, 2024 – Toronto Raptors – Los Angeles Clippers

• March 20, 2024 – Toronto Raptors – Sacramento Kings

The second case concerns illegal poker games and involves 31 defendants, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Billupswho was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

Billups is on unpaid leave and is not currently coaching the Blazers. He pleaded not guilty and his bail was set at $5 million.

Prosecutors allege Billups acted as a “face card,” giving the illegal poker scheme a veneer of prestige and luring unsuspecting players into fraudulent games.

The case involved an alleged underground poker operation that prosecutors said used cheating devices such as X-ray tables, special contact lenses that could read marked cards and a hacked card shuffling machine – all designed to rig games against unsuspecting players who were spending big at the table.

Thirteen members and associates of the Bonanno, Genovese and Gambino crime families in New York were also indicted in the illegal poker case.

The charges include robbery, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal gambling.

In a statement following the first arrests in October, which coincided with the first week of the basketball season, the NBA said it was reviewing the announced federal charges and was cooperating with authorities.

The league added that Rozier and Billups were placed on “immediate leave” from their teams.

“We take these allegations seriously and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the statement said.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was “deeply concerned” by the allegations.

“Nothing is more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very disappointing.”

Silver said the NBA previously investigated Rozier after sportsbooks notified the association of unusual “bet odds” in 2023 in which more than $200,000 was bet on Rozier's individual game.

“Terry was cooperating at the time. He gave the league office his phone number. He sat down for an interview. And ultimately we came to the conclusion that despite this anomalous behavior, there was not enough evidence to move forward,” Silver said in an interview during an NBA game broadcast in late October.

“In fairness to Terry, he still hasn’t been convicted of anything. Obviously this doesn't look good. But now he has been placed on administrative leave. There is a balance here between protecting people's rights and investigating.”

Authorities said the alleged overall scheme involved four of New York's five prominent crime families.

Five families – Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese – have ruled the city's Italian-American mafia since 1931.

Major Mafia busts reduced the prevalence of Mafia activity in the 1990s, helped by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

But as Thursday's indictments show, the Mafia has not disappeared entirely.

The Five Families are part of a larger Sicilian-American mafia operation known as Cosa Nostra, which translates to “our cause”, and its members often work closely with their counterparts in Sicily.

On the Italian side, gangsters consider New York a “gym” where their members go to train, says criminology professor and contemporary expert on organized crime Anna Sergi: previously told the BBC.