3 former Celtics arrested in sweeping federal illegal gambling probe

Three former Boston Celtics players were among 31 arrests made Thursday as part of a massive FBI probe into two alleged illegal gambling schemes, one involving betting on NBA games.

Ex-Celtics point guard Terry Rozier is believed to have been involved in a fraudulent sports betting operation that involved inside information on NBA players and teams, as first reported by Shams Charania. Former C's point guard Chauncey Billups, meanwhile, is alleged to have participated in a complex conspiracy involving rigged poker games. The two operations are separate, but the common thread appears to be the alleged involvement of the New York City-based Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families.

FBI Director Kash Patel described a multi-year investigation into illegal gambling operations that "spanned years" and involved "tens of millions in fraud and theft and robbery" during a Thursday press conference. Wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion are among the many charges. Individuals have been arrested across 11 states as part of the FBI probe.

In the case of Rozier's alleged involvement in illegal sports betting, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. described players "betting on inside, non-public information about NBA athletes and teams." The information would include when players would be sitting out of games, or when they would pull themselves out of games early for purported injuries. Players would set up fraudulent bets then launder their winnings through peer-to-peer money platforms, bank wires, and simple cash exchanges. Among the charges for this operation are conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

News first broke in July that Rozier was under investigation. ESPN's David Purdum reported that the FBI was looking into a bettor that placed 30 wagers totaling $13,759 in a 46-minute span, all involving Rozier in a single game in 2023, when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Joe Murray, the Sports Hub's resident sports betting guru, has been suspicious of Rozier's behavior since he played for the Celtics in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. Rozier shot 2-for-14 in Game 7 of that series, missing his first 10 shots in a row. Then there's the video evidence, like this suspiciously sloppy performance in a recent game for the Miami Heat:

Billups is alleged to have been a co-conspirator in a Mafia operation that used "high-tech cheating technology" to run underground poker games that were "secretly fixed." Conspirators would lure in "fish" to play poker with famous athletes, referred to as "face cards," among them Billups.

The technology included rigged deck shuffling machines, plus "special glasses" and "X-ray tables" that could read cards that were face-down. Conspirators would use the tech to read players' cards and predict winners of hands, then send it to an "offsite operator," who would relay it back to a "quarterback" at the table that would signal to others.

The investigation also looked into acts of violence and violent threats, including a gunpoint robbery perpetrated to obtain a shuffling machine. Threats were allegedly made to people to repay gambling debts.

Billups originally entered the NBA as the No. 3 overall pick to the Celtics in the 1997 NBA Draft. The C's famously traded Billups to the Toronto Raptors during his rookie season ahead of the 1998 trade deadline. He went on to enjoy an accomplished NBA career that included a championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and three All-NBA selections. Billups was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. He's currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

A third former Celtics guard, Damon Jones, was also arrested as part of the investigation. Jones played 13 games for the Celtics during the 1998-99 season. He is alleged to be involved in the illegal sports betting operation.

It's a tough look for the NBA to have players and coaches so heavily involved in operations that ruin or severely damage the integrity of games. The league will have to hope that the shady operations go no deeper than the three individuals already arrested.