FBI Busts Mafia-Linked Sports Rigging and Gambling Schemes Involving NBA Figures

Massive FBI Investigations Uncover Sports Rigging and Cheating

• FBI investigations, codenamed Operation Nothing But Bet and Operation Royal Flush, have uncovered sprawling Mafia-linked gambling and sports rigging schemes.
• These operations have sent shockwaves through the NBA and the United States, leading to the indictment of 34 individuals.

Allegations Against NBA Figures

• Accusations include NBA players faking injuries and underperforming in games on purpose to influence betting outcomes.
• Insider tips about other players, including LeBron James, were allegedly shared to aid gambling operations.
• Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among those indicted.
• Former NBA coach and player Damon Jones is also implicated in the schemes.

Sophisticated Poker Game Cheating

• A separate case involves rigged poker games where high-tech cheating technology was used to steal millions.
• This technology included special contact lenses and X-ray devices capable of seeing through facedown cards.
• Victims, referred to as "fish," were lured into these rigged games by the chance to play with former athletes, known as "face cards," who were part of the scam.

Mafia Involvement and Tactics

• Thirteen members and associates from New York Mafia families, including the Gambino and Genovese crime families, were arrested.
• The schemes involved alleged insider trading related to player performance and injuries to favor betting odds.
• Defendants are accused of laundering millions of dollars in winnings.
• Old-school mafia tactics such as robbery and extortion were reportedly used to collect earnings, with one text message mentioning pistol-whipping winners.

NBA and Legal Reactions

• The NBA has placed Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier on immediate leave from their teams while they review the indictments.
• Both players are expected to return to New York to face federal charges.
• Prosecutors anticipate these will likely be two separate cases proceeding on different tracks, despite some shared defendants.
• The Eastern District of New York, known for prosecuting organized crime, is handling the complex, long-term FBI investigation.