FBI Arrests NBA Players, Coaches in Sports Gambling Probes

Oct 24, 2025

Guest

David Gura

Guest

Max Chafkin

Max Chafkin, a senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, and David Gura, a correspondent and host, dive into a major FBI probe shaking the NBA. They discuss the shocking case of Terry Rozier, who allegedly tipped off a friend about his playing time to influence bets, leading to widespread arrests. The conversation explores how illegal betting schemes tie in with organized crime and the vulnerabilities created by player prop bets. Chafkin also touches on Elon Musk's controversial pay package at Tesla, linking it to business strategy and company control.

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ANECDOTE

Rozier Tip Led To Large Bets

Terry Rozier allegedly told a friend he would take himself out of a game and the friend placed over $200,000 in bets on that tip.
Prosecutors say they counted winnings together the next morning at Rozier's home, triggering part of the federal case.

ANECDOTE

Mafia-Run Rigged Poker Scheme

Prosecutors allege Chauncey Billups took cuts from rigged underground poker games run by mafia families.
The indictment ties NBA players and coaches to organized rigging at poker clubs monitored live by operators.

INSIGHT

Regulation Helps Detection But Expands Scale

Legal sportsbooks and monitoring systems catch unusual wagering patterns and tip investigators to misconduct.
Yet the ubiquity of betting apps means manipulation is more widespread and visible than before.

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Basketball player Terry Rozier told a friend in 2023 that he planned to take himself out of a game early with a minor injury. The friend, Deniro Laster, used the tip to place more than $200,000 in bets predicting Rozier would fall short of his usual point total.

By the next morning, prosecutors say, the two men were counting their winnings together in Rozier’s home. The Charlotte Hornets guard at the time played just nine minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans and checked out.That incident, described in a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday in Brooklyn, now sits at the center of one of the most sweeping sports gambling cases ever brought by the US Justice Department — one that stretches from locker rooms to underground poker clubs controlled by New York’s biggest mafia families.

Rozier, now with the Miami Heat, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were arrested Thursday morning and charged as part of two separate criminal schemes related to illegal sports betting, federal prosecutors said.

Soon after the arrests, Rozier and Billups were placed on immediate leave from their teams.FBI Director Kash Patel and Brooklyn federal prosecutors said at least 30 people were arrested across 11 states, including current and former National Basketball Association players and coaches.

Today's show features:

Bloomberg News Senior Reporter Myles Miller and Global Business of Sports Reporter Ira Boudwayon the FBI’s sprawling sports gambling probe involving current and former NBA players and coaches
Alli McCartney, Managing Director of Wealth Management with Alignment Partners at UBS, on whether the equities market can sustain recent gains
Bloomberg Businessweek Senior Reporter Max Chafkin on Elon Musk continuing his $1 trillion pay package push
Jay Goldberg, Senior Analyst, Semiconductors & Electronics with Seaport Research Partners, breaks down Intel’s latest earnings report

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