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NBA Betting Scandal: In a shocking turn of events, the NBA was rocked by a betting scandal expose on Thursday as a head coach and player were arrested as part of a federal investigation into illegal sports betting backed by the mafia.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, along with more than 30 other people, were charged in two cases, alleging sprawling criminal schemes to rake in millions by rigging sports bets and poker games.

Chauncey was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons, whereas Rozier is accused in a separate scheme by exploiting insider information about NBA athletes.

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According to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel, the "insider trading saga for the NBA" exposed two criminal operations that generated tens of millions of dollars through fraud, money laundering, extortion, and gambling-related offences.

Patel added that the cases are not just related to NBA players, but also multiple New York mafia families, millions in cash and even an X-ray poker table that can read cards face down.


Mafia families profited off gambling scheme, confirm officials

The poker scheme cheated at least $7 million out of unsuspecting gamblers who were involved in rigged games with the chance to compete against former professional basketball players like Billups and Jones.

Notably, the games were fixed using sophisticated cheating technology, such as altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read the cards of unsuspecting players, authorities allege.

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Prosecutors asked a judge to take action against Mafia members involved in the case, as well as the ringleaders of the poker scheme. Prosecutors are arguing for releasing Billups and Jones, but with a condition of prohibition on any form of gambling and travel restrictions.

 

Athletes accused of leaving games early

Players sometimes altered their performance or took themselves out of games early, allowing gamblers to bet.

In one instance, Rozier, while playing a game for the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, told people he was planning to leave the game early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers, earning them tens of thousands of dollars, authorities say. Interestingly, Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.


How Lebron James is linked to NBA betting scandal

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James' name also came up in the course of the FBI investigations into illegal betting and high-stakes poker games.

Damon Jones, who was associated with James during the 2022-23, and had restricted access to the Lakers, allegedly shared non-public information about the basketballer with gamblers, as per a report in The Athletic.

On Feb. 9, 2023, the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks faced off with James missing out on the fixture. He was ruled out due to ankle soreness. The FBI indictment noted that Jones, who was a friend of James and not a Lakers' employee, sold or reportedly tried to profit from such non-public information.

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