Federal authorities have placed Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on “immediate leave” following their arrests in a sweeping gambling and illegal poker probe. The league’s statement made clear: “We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today … We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
As part of a law enforcement sweep on Thursday, Billups, Rozier, and former NBA assistant and player Damon Jones—along with more than 30 others—were arrested. This sweeping investigation, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel, covers 11 states and involves tens of millions of dollars. Patel described the scale: “The fraud is mind-boggling,” he said at a news conference the same day.
In the case involving Rozier, prosecutors allege that he participated in an illegal sports-betting scheme by supplying non-public information regarding upcoming games and his own performance to co-conspirators.
A March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans triggered alarm bells when sportsbooks flagged unusual wagering on his points, rebounds, and assists.
Billups, meanwhile, has been charged in a separate indictment in a rigged high-stakes poker scheme backed by Mafia families, involving tampered card-shufflers, hidden cameras, and other technology to cheat “fish” — unaware participants.
The NBA reiterated that both men are on leave and will continue cooperating with authorities.
Investigators are targeting both insider sports betting and underground poker fraud, escalating concerns over gambling threats in pro sports. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. called the betting case “one of the most brazen” since legalization.
According to the indictments announced Thursday, both Billups and Rozier face charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy. The timing of these arrests—just as the NBA season opens—increases the severity and reputational stakes for the league. Billups was arrested in Oregon on Thursday; Rozier was taken into custody the same day at a hotel in Orlando, just before the Heat’s season opener.
In the poker scheme, victims were enticed into games where athletes served as “face cards” to draw in high-rollers, only to lose to a rigged system that used advanced cheating devices.
Prosecutors say the defendants then used extortion, violence, and money laundering to enforce the debts.
One memo said Billups had to lose a game on purpose after winning improbably in a rigged Las Vegas game in April 2019.
This scandal forces the league to examine its defenses against manipulation. Commissioner Adam Silver said, “We’ve asked partners to pull back some prop bets where manipulation seems too easy.”
Trust matters for fans, sponsors, and broadcasters. When insiders cheat or exploit knowledge, the league’s credibility suffers. The NBA must show its rules on fairness are real and enforced.
As the court proceedings unfold and evidence comes to light, the NBA faces a defining moment for its reputation and future. If the allegations against Billups and Rozier are proven, their actions would shatter not only legal boundaries but also the foundational trust between sport and its supporters. With legalized sports betting on the rise, the NBA’s duty to uphold competitive integrity is not a choice, but an imperative essential to the league’s very existence.
