The NBA is reeling after a wave of arrests exposed a sprawling mafia-run sports gambling ring that allegedly ensnared some of basketball’s most recognizable names. On October 23, 2025, news broke that more than two dozen individuals had been arrested in connection with sports fixing and illegal gambling operations orchestrated by organized crime. Among those facing charges are Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, former NBA player and coach Damon Jones, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier—sending shockwaves through the basketball world and raising urgent questions about the vulnerability of professional athletes to criminal influence.
According to the Department of Justice, Billups and Jones are accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment alleges that both men used their status as former NBA stars to lure wealthy, high-profile players into rigged poker games. In these games, unsuspecting card players lost an estimated $7.15 million since April 2019, with Billups and Jones reportedly receiving a cut of the illicit winnings. The DOJ indictment specifically states, “Billups and Jones, in particular… were utilized to attract victims to the games because of their status as former professional athletes.”
For many fans, the involvement of such prominent figures in a mafia-linked betting scheme is difficult to comprehend. Why would individuals who have enjoyed lucrative careers and public adulation risk their reputations—and potentially their freedom—by getting mixed up with the mob? The answer, according to Meyer Lansky II, grandson of the infamous organized crime figure Meyer Lansky, lies in the unique psychology of elite athletes and the seductive power of money, fame, and risk.
“Well, they’re risk-takers. Athletes like that, they’ve got a lot of adrenaline,” Lansky II explained in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “They think they can not only have millions to be paid by a team, but they can make more with their gambling, too. Or they have an addiction to gambling. There’s a lot of people like that. They just want to get involved with that. Maybe they like the affiliation with the people that are in charge of that, or behind those gambling setups and situations again.”
Lansky II believes that the trappings of wealth and celebrity can sometimes blind athletes to the risks involved. “I think anybody that gets an extraordinary amount of money, and they’ve got a lot of fans behind them, yeah, they can get to the point where they’re just blind to ‘Nothing can happen to me. Why don’t I just do this?’ I do think that with any background, not just sports. It’s a powerful thing. Money and power and fame, it takes over sometimes.”
He also confirmed that the mafia has long targeted the sports world as a lucrative business opportunity. “It was pretty easy to fix. It’s always been beneficial…” Lansky II said. “Yeah, I think it’s pretty easy to access that. You can do it because, if you’re in the casinos, you have surveillance and people watching, and that’s a lot riskier than it would be for sports betting.” The relative lack of oversight in private gambling settings, compared to the highly monitored environment of casinos, makes sports and card games attractive targets for criminal enterprises.
But it’s not just about easy money. Lansky II pointed out that the mafia’s offer of “protection” and its ability to provide front money for bets can be appealing to athletes who might otherwise hesitate to take such risks. “Protection — you don’t have to come up with the front money, you place it with a bookie a lot of times. They’ll look for you if you don’t pay up, but you know, reasons like that, they have great control and great power. They have different ways they do things with somebody. They’re influential themselves when they talk to maybe a player. There’s an affiliation with the mafia and famous people and sports people, they like that connection sometimes. It gives them something. It’s a strong entity in our society, so that’s one of the reasons. They trust them, too.”
The scandal has prompted swift and strong reactions from both inside and outside the NBA. Commissioner Adam Silver did not mince words, calling the allegations against Billups, Jones, and Rozier “deeply disturbing.” The league, which has battled its share of controversies over the decades—from point-shaving scandals to referee betting cases—now faces a new challenge: restoring public trust and ensuring that its players and coaches are protected from criminal exploitation.
The story has also captured the attention of media analysts and legal experts. On October 26, 2025, Fox News contributor Ted Williams appeared on 'Fox News Live' to dissect the NBA betting scandal, shedding light on how high-tech cheating can be used to manipulate outcomes and discussing the mafia’s evolving role in sports gambling. Williams’ insights highlighted the increasing sophistication of schemes that blend old-school organized crime tactics with modern technology, making detection and prevention more challenging than ever before.
The case has reignited debate about the intersection of sports, gambling, and organized crime. While legal sports betting has become more widespread in recent years, with leagues and teams even partnering with betting companies, the dark underbelly of illegal gambling remains a persistent threat. The current scandal underscores the risks that come with the territory, reminding fans and officials alike that the allure of easy money can sometimes prove irresistible—even for those who seem to have it all.
For the NBA, the fallout is likely to be significant. The league’s reputation for integrity is now under scrutiny, and the involvement of high-profile figures only heightens the stakes. There are calls for more rigorous background checks, improved education for players and coaches about the dangers of illegal gambling, and tighter cooperation with law enforcement agencies. Some analysts have suggested that the league needs to revisit its relationships with betting companies, ensuring that safeguards are in place to prevent criminal infiltration.
Meanwhile, the accused await their day in court, and the details of the case continue to emerge. As the investigation unfolds, more questions are sure to arise: How deep does the corruption go? Were other players or officials involved? And what steps can be taken to protect the integrity of the game moving forward?
One thing is certain: the NBA finds itself at a crossroads, facing a test not just of its rules and regulations, but of the very trust that fans place in the sport. As the legal process grinds on and the league charts its next moves, the world of basketball—and the broader world of sports—will be watching closely, eager for answers and determined to ensure that the games they love remain fair, honest, and above all, real.
