When the dust settles on what happened on October 25, 2025, basketball fans will likely look back at this date as one of the most sobering moments in NBA history.
CNN reported, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player Damon Jones were arrested sending shockwaves through the sports world. While betting on basketball and poker may be legal in some, if not most, states it’s legality doesn’t give anyone permission to break league rules or engage in illegal activity. This bust might be the tipping point that causes devoted basketball fans to step back from their teams.
Many news outlets have reported that Federal prosecutors unveiled two operations dubbed Operation Royal Flush and Operation Nothing But Net, implicating more than 30 individuals in schemes involving rigged poker games with mafia ties and illegal betting on NBA games. Rozier allegedly informed a childhood friend before a March 2023 game that he would exit early due to a fake injury, allowing conspirators to place over $200,000 in bets on his statistical unders. When Rozier left after nine minutes, those bets paid off.
Then there are the charges Billups is facing related to participating in rigged poker games linked to organized crime families, where advanced cheating technology fleeced victims of millions. These high-stakes games were controlled by members of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families. And last but not least, Jones is accused of selling non-public injury information about players like LeBron James to gamblers.
Sports betting is legal in 38 states, and Americans have wagered over $330 billion since 2018. The NBA has partnered with major sportsbooks. Legal poker rooms operate nationwide. But legality for fans doesn’t mean players and coaches can do whatever they want. Every major sports league prohibits their personnel from gambling on games or sharing insider information. When fans suspect games are rigged or poker games fixed, everything collapses.
The arrested individuals allegedly used confidential information about injuries and game plans to manipulate betting markets. Players intentionally underperformed to ensure bets would win. This is federal wire fraud and money laundering. U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. told PIX11 that this is one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since widespread legalization.
Causing many fans to question everything. Videos of Rozier’s previous games circulated online, with analysts wondering if he’d been throwing games longer than alleged. Every time a player exits early, fans wonder if gambling interests are at play.
Proposition bets enabled much of this scandal. These bets allow wagering on individual player statistics and represent 10 to 30 percent of sportsbook activity. If you know a player plans to exit early, you can bet heavily on their statistical unders and profit. Prop bets are incredibly vulnerable.
The poker element adds another deception layer. While legal poker involves skill and chance, the rigged games Billups allegedly participated in used technology to predetermine outcomes. Victims thought they were playing legitimate poker, unaware organized crime figures had stacked the deck. This mirrors sports betting corruption — people engaging in apparently legal gambling without realizing the game is fixed.
The NBA’s financial entanglement with the gambling industry it must police creates obvious conflicts. As some experts noted, You simply cannot be both the regulator and the revenue partner. The NBA cleared Rozier after its 2024 investigation. But the FBI disagrees and has arrested him.
According to CBS Sports, Senate Commerce Committee demanded answers from Commissioner Silver, with senators writing that sports betting scandals like this one may lead the American public to assume that all sports are corrupt. That could devastate fan engagement. This scandal is exponentially larger than previous incidents.
Some fans will rationalize that most players aren’t involved. Warriors star Stephen Curry expressed confidence in the league’s integrity. But others may struggle. Larry Mak told NPR the scandal definitely changes the way to watch the game. Another fan pointed out the absurdity of the NBA promoting gambling constantly then acting surprised when corruption emerges.
Here’s the thing, folks: For fans who’ve loved basketball for decades, this is heartbreaking. Some will continue watching cynically. Others may reduce engagement, spending less time and money on a product they no longer trust. While others may walk away completely, deciding that if betting lines and rigged poker games matter more than integrity, professional basketball isn’t worth their investment.
With that… This bust exposed the tension between the NBA as a competitive sport and as a gambling platform. Whether the league can resolve that tension remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: legality isn’t legitimacy. Sports betting is legal. Poker is legal. But using insider information to manipulate bets, rigging poker games with mafia technology, and intentionally underperforming to cash in on prop bets crosses every ethical and legal line. The individuals charged allegedly understood that distinction and chose to ignore it. Now the sport must deal with consequences, and fans must decide whether their loyalty can survive this betrayal.
If you cannot play with them, maybe it’s time to stop rooting for them too.