Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been accused of being a key figure in an elaborate underground betting scheme. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the rigged poker ring cheated victims — including legitimate sportsbooks — out of millions of dollars.
The DOJ’s explosive 22-page indictment claims Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones colluded with members of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families to lure players into high-stakes, rigged poker games between 2019 and 2024.
Over 30 Arrested in Mafia-Linked Sports Gambling Operation Involving NBA Head Coach – USA Herald
The alleged scheme sounds like something out of a mob thriller: poker tables outfitted with X-ray technology, marked cards, rigged mechanical shufflers, and sensor-equipped contact lenses worn by insiders to read opponents’ hands.
“It’s the stuff of a blockbuster mob movie,” federal attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said at Thursday’s press conference, “except this one played out in real life.”
