Sign in Subscribe
Basketball coaches

FBI Arrests NBA Coach and Player in Sports Betting Scandal

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents on Thursday arrested two high-profile NBA figures, including Hall of Fame guard and Portland Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups, and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, in a landmark sports betting scandal. Billups and Rozier were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, respectively, for allegedly participating in a sports betting operation that involved sharing information with bettors that wasn't publicly available.

Key Takeaways:

  • The arrests were related to separate investigations, one called "Operation Royal Flush" and the other "Nothing but Bet."
  • The FBI alleges that Billups participated in an April 2019 game in Las Vegas that included a tampered shuffling machine, defrauding victims of "at least $50,000."
  • Billups was also implicated in the sports betting case, sharing information with another defendant about the Trail Blazers' strategy, which led to suspicious bets being placed on their game.
  • Rozier allegedly alerted bettors about his performance in a March 23, 2023, game, leading them to place wagers on him underperforming.
  • The indictment states that Jones, 49, sold or attempted to sell inside information to gamblers, using his relationship with LeBron James to extract information.
  • Jones was also accused of participating in rigged games, including one in East Hampton, New York, where he demanded payment before the game began.
  • The NBA has placed Billups and Rozier on immediate leave from their teams while the league reviews the indictments.
  • The FBI has been reportedly looking into suspicious gambling activity involving former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley and former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter.

Statistics:

  • $7.15 million in total was allegedly defrauded in the rigged poker schemes.
  • Billups and Rozier face a maximum of 20 years for each of the two charges against them.
  • The FBI arrested 35 people in connection with the two cases.
  • The investigations are spread across 11 states.
  • Tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft were committed across the multiyear investigation.

Sources:

  • [PDF 1: Washington Post (October 23, 2025)](https://washingtonpost.com/documents/0b01bb43-63a0-41b4-8b46-d41789c9fc5f.pdf)
  • [PDF 2: Washington Post (October 23, 2025)](https://washingtonpost.com/documents/03efad65-cc9c-4d0f-9a77-291054b43c0d.pdf)

Read more