NBA Gambling Fraud Scheme Uncovered

A Hollywood movie-style money-laundering scheme allegedly backed by the mafia has been revealed.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups leaves the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse after a hearing following his arrest on federal gambling charges in Portland, Ore., on Oct. 23, 2025. John Rudoff/Reuters

A former National Basketball Association (NBA) player and an NBA coach have been arrested along with 32 others in mafia-backed money laundering schemes, “reminiscent of a Hollywood movie,” U.S. officials announced on Oct. 23.

FBI Director Kash Patel at a press conference described the schemes as “an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years.”