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Nov. 21, 2025 – The world of professional athletes is populated by hyper-competitive people who love sports, many with plenty of disposable income. Charles Barkley, former NBA star, has openly admitted losing millions gambling; in 2007, he said he lost $10 million, at one point losing $2.5 million in six hours of blackjack.
However, many were shocked In October 2025 by news of a federal probe resulting in 31 individuals arrested in two interrelated schemes involving the NBA and underground poker games. Among those charged were Chauncey Billups (head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers), Terry Rozier (star guard for the Miami Heat) and Damon Jones (former NBA player and assistant coach in Cleveland). Billups allegedly participated in a rigged high-stakes poker network backed by four New York mafia families. Rozier is charged with using non-public NBA information—such as player availability or injuries—to profit from illegal sports betting. Jones is accused of involvement in both schemes.
In November 2025, 14 current or former college athletes were charged in New Jersey with running a multimillion-dollar illegal sports-betting ring allegedly tied to the Lucchese crime family, using offshore websites and recruiting younger bettors and athletes as sub-agents.
