In late October, three former and current NBA players were arrested for their involvement in rigged poker games and illegal sports betting. Including Portland Trail Blazers coach and hall of famer Chauncey Billups. Others arrested include Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and retired 10 year veteran Damon Jones.
Billups was involved with the rigged poker games as a “face card” in a poker scam to lure in unsuspecting high profile victims to join the games. The games were held by the New York mafia with federal authorities saying they made at least $7 million through the private tables in New York, Miami, The Hamptons and Las Vegas
They used special technology in the poker games including a rigged shuffling machine that has hidden cameras and analyzers to know the exact order of cards and who had the best hand. X-ray poker tables that had built-in X- ray cameras underneath the felt surface were used to look at cards when they are faced down on the table. They also had special eyewear to see the invisible ink markings and barcodes that were on the backs of the cards. The person getting this information, called the “quarterback,” would relay the information to the others by using signals of touching different body parts and distinct poker chips. The mafia used the money to help fund other criminal activities.
Jones was also a part of the illegal poker games and was also accused of leaking insider information to sports bettors. During the 2022-23 season Jones had restricted access to the Lakers and is friends with his former team mate in Miami, Lebron James. Jones sold confidential injury information to bettors about James and Anthony Davis. Swaying peoples betting decisions.
On the other hand, Rozier allegedly was involved in his own betting scheme that involved his childhood friend Deniro Laster. It happened in a 2023 game when Rozier was playing on the Charlotte Hornets against the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier allegedly told Laster that he was going to intentionally leave the game early. Laster went on to sell the information to bettors that led bettors to take the “under” in all of Rozier’s prop bets for that game. Rozier supposedly made $100,000 from his scheme.
Billups’ and Jones’ court trials are scheduled for November 24th and Rozier is December 8th. The NBA ruled Billups and Rozier will not get paid while they are suspended. As the NBA season is just starting, this is a worst-case scenario because the in-game gambling calls into question the integrity of the league.