Face Cards and Federal Crimes: NBA Stars, Mafia Networks, and the Integrity of Sport
By: Sophia Hofmeister
Edited by: Isabella Canales and Lauren Levinson
In a shocking turn of events in the sports betting and NBA world, Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones, among several others, were arrested in late October of 2025 after a yearslong investigation into illegal sports betting and gambling. The investigation covers 11 states and involves tens of millions of dollars, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. [1] In total, the FBI arrested 31 people including the aforementioned NBA stars and members of four Mafia families, namely the Bonanno, Genovese, Lucchese, and Gambino La Costa Nostra families, in a gambling bust. [2] The official indictment states that the conspiracy began as early as 2019 and involved the manipulation of a series of weekly poker games at places such as Washington Place and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Furthermore, the indictment states that the defendants used advanced wireless technologies to read cards and relay information about each hand, then betting accordingly to ensure that other players lost money. In addition, rigged card shuffling machines were used to predict “which player at the table had the best poker hand, and relay info via interstate wires to an off-site operator.” [3] The operator then communicated info to cheating team members at the table who used signals to communicate with the rest of the team. Finally, the defendants also used electronic poker chips that would read cards placed on table, as well as technology on decoy cell phones and “playing cards that had markings visible only to those wearing specially designed contact lenses or sunglasses.” [4]
The NBA stars played a pivotal role in this scheme. Known as “Face Cards,” they were important members of the cheating teams who helped draw in high paying gamblers who were blind to the underlying scheme, receiving a portion of proceeds. [5] These games were also allegedly approved by La Cosa Nostra family associates, who collected debts from the games in exchange for a portion of the proceeds. In fact, the Mafia and Billups could have a history. Gambino crime family ex-enforcer John Alita suspects the suspended 49-year-old Portland Trailblazers coach is being blackmailed by or could have asked for help from the Mafia. If he were blackmailed, he could be just as much of a victim as the people scammed in the poker scandal, or it could have been a case where Billups simply found himself in over his head. Alita said, “Either they’re blackmailing him or he asked for a favor in the past … and they slowly use him and then they pull his neck, you know, they choke him a little and tell him do this or else.” However, despite this theory, no evidence that has been publicized suggests he has been engaged in any kind of activity with the Mafia. [6]
Despite the claims being stacked up against him, Billups remains steadfast in his argument that Billups had nothing to do with this massive operation. Chris Heyward, Billups’ defense attorney, made the following statement: “Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others. To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.… He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.” [7]
This was not a stand-alone scandal. In addition to the gambling scheme, a Miami Heat guard was arrested as part of an illegal sports betting scheme using NBA insider information. Gamblers used nonpublic info to bet on at least seven NBA games between March 2023 and 2024 involving the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Trail Blazers, LA Lakers, and Toronto Raptors. In three of the seven games, players intentionally removed themselves from contests to benefit the gamblers’ bets, according to the indictment. [8]
In sum, the arrests of Billups, Rozier, Jones, and their co-defendants highlight the profound vulnerabilities that arise when professional sports intersect with organized crime and rapidly evolving technologies. Called “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States” by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr., what began as seemingly isolated poker games metastasized into a sprawling conspiracy implicating NBA insiders, Mafia families, and sophisticated cheating devices, raising urgent questions about the adequacy of league oversight, the integrity of competition, and the reach of federal enforcement. [9] More broadly, the scandal exposes a regulatory landscape struggling to keep pace with both the technological sophistication of modern gambling operations and the financial incentives that make athletes and insiders uniquely valuable targets for criminal networks. As professional leagues increasingly embrace partnerships with betting companies and normalize gambling as part of the fan experience, this case underscores the need for more robust compliance mechanisms, clearer reporting obligations, and stronger protections for players who may be coerced or exploited. Ultimately, the fallout from this investigation will likely shape not only the legal consequences for those involved, but also the future architecture of sports governance in an era where the boundary between entertainment, technology, and high‑stakes wagering is thinner than ever.
Notes:
Purdum, “Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrested in gambling inquiries,” ESPN, October 23, 2025.
Post Staff Report, “NBA gambling scandal: Read the FBI’s sweeping 31-arrest indictment involving Mafia, Trail Blazers coach,” New York Post, October 23, 2025.
Nocella Jr., “United States v. Aiello et al. (1:25-cr-00314),” New York Eastern District Court, October 9, 2025.
Nocella Jr., “United States v. Aiello et al. (1:25-cr-00314),” New York Eastern District Court, October 9, 2025.
Nocella Jr., “United States v. Aiello et al. (1:25-cr-00314),” New York Eastern District Court, October 9, 2025.
Nocella Jr., “United States v. Aiello et al. (1:25-cr-00314),” New York Eastern District Court, October 9, 2025.
Spector, “Ex-Gambino enforcer says Chauncey Billups could have been blackmailed by the mob in NBA poker scandal: ‘Do this or else’,” New York Post, October 25, 2025.
Dajani, “Chauncey Billups' attorney vows suspended Trail Blazers coach will fight illegal gambling allegations,” CBS Sports, October 23, 2025.
Purdum, “Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrested in gambling inquiries,” ESPN, October 23, 2025.
Purdum, “Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrested in gambling inquiries,” ESPN, October 23, 2025.
Bibliography:
Dajani, Jordan. “Chauncey Billups' attorney vows suspended Trail Blazers coach will fight illegal gambling allegations,” CBS Sports, 2025. Chauncey Billups' attorney vows suspended Trail Blazers coach will fight illegal gambling allegations - CBS Sports
Nocella Jr., Joseph. “United States v. Aiello et al. (1:25-cr-00314),” New York Eastern District Court, 2025. indictment-chauncey-billups-edny.pdf
Post Staff Report, “NBA gambling scandal: Read the FBI’s sweeping 31-arrest indictment involving Mafia, Trail Blazers coach,” New York Post, 2025. NBA gambling scandal: Read the FBI's sweeping 31-arrest indictment involving Mafia, Trail Blazers coach | New York Post
Purdum, David, “Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrested in gambling inquiries,” ESPN, 2025. Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier arrested in gambling inquiries - ESPN
Spector, David, “Ex-Gambino enforcer says Chauncey Billups could have been blackmailed by the mob in NBA poker scandal: ‘Do this or else’,” New York Post, 2025. Ex-Gambino enforcer says Chauncey Billups could have been blackmailed by the mob in NBA poker scandal | New York Post