Overview
- Federal prosecutors on Oct. 23 announced two related indictments and 34 arrests tied to insider sports betting and a mafia‑linked rigged poker ring that include Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones.
- New reporting based on DOJ filings describes Billups’s longtime ties to gambler Eric Earnest, including an April 2019 Las Vegas game alleged to be rigged and messages portraying Billups as a “face card” used to lure high‑rollers.
- The insider‑betting case alleges Rozier told a childhood friend before a March 2023 game that he would pull himself early, information that was sold to bettors who wagered heavily on his under‑performance.
- Front Office Sports notes overlap between the poker and betting probes, highlights expert views that in‑game and prop bets are hard to police, reports Billups has retained attorney Marc Mukasey, and says both Billups and Rozier deny the charges.
- Former All‑Star Joe Johnson described teammates settling massive private gambling debts, offering a glimpse of a high‑stakes player culture as Congress seeks briefings and sportsbooks review vulnerable bet types.