Image (c) ConsumerAffairs. The FBI said the integrity of some sporting events may be in question after multiple arrests in a major illegal sports-betting operation.
The FBI arrested Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, among 34 individuals charged in one of the largest illegal sports-betting operations ever uncovered.
Federal investigators say the scheme, active since 2021, used offshore servers, proxy bettors, and insider sports data to manipulate events and launder millions of dollars in illegal wagers.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrests in Washington, noting that several sports insiders and organized crime affiliates are among those accused.
Millions of Americans legally bet on sporting events through a number of online apps. But federal officials say some of those games might not have been on the up and up.
The FBI has announced the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, charging them with illegal sports betting. They are just two of the 34 people charged by the federal agency.
The FBI detained the suspects in connection with what officials say is one of the largest illegal sports-betting rings ever uncovered. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice say the scheme involved the manipulation of sporting events, the placing of covert wagers, an illegal gambling business, and money-laundering operations.
According to an FBI internal memo, the operation began as early as 2021 and was designed to evade oversight by using offshore servers, proxy bettors, and insider access to sports data. The ring allegedly funneled millions of dollars in bets through multiple states and international channels.
Federal officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, announced the arrests at a news conference in Washington.
Among the accused are bettors, bookmaking operators, sports-event insiders and enablers with alleged ties to organized crime groups. While the full list of names has not yet been released, multiple media outlets indicate that high-profile figures—some with direct ties to major sports leagues—were detained.