“Your luck has run out”: FBI arrests NBA’s Rozier, Billups in gambling sting
The FBI arrested several high-profile NBA players and coaches on Thursday, alleging their involvement in illegal sports betting and poker game schemes backed by organized crime families. Among those arrested and named in two federal indictments were Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones.
According to the agency, Billups and others used their celebrity status to lure marks into rigged poker games. Meanwhile, Rozier is accused of providing intel about his team to bettors. Notably, Rozier allegedly faked a foot injury during a 2023 game while playing for the Charlotte Hornets to benefit the betting ring.
“This is an illegal gambling operation and sports-rigging operation that spanned the course of years,” said Patel. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.”
The rigged poker game scheme was reportedly backed by multiple New York Mafia operations, including the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese families, according to the indictment.
Joseph Nocella, the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, described the schemes as “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
“Your winning streak has ended,” Nocella said to the defendants at the Thursday press conference. “Your luck has run out.”
https://www.salon.com/2025/10/23/your-luck-has-run-out-fbi-arrests-nbas-rozier-billups-in-gambling-sting/
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