Las Vegas bookmakers have long served as the unofficial watchdogs of professional and collegiate sports, helping to uncover several point-shaving scandals through the years.
Industry veterans said they were again taken aback Thursday when news broke that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were among more than 30 people arrested in two coordinated illegal gambling investigations.
Key Takeaways
- More than 30 people were arrested in a major FBI investigation into illegal gambling and Mafia-backed poker operations.
- Among those arrested are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former Cavaliers player Damon Jones.
- Las Vegas bookmakers and regulators said Nevada’s compliance protocols and reporting systems make it difficult for such schemes to go undetected.
Westgate VP of race and sports John Murray called the reports "shocking," noting regulated sportsbooks have strong safeguards in place to prevent manipulation. Circa sportsbook director Chris Bennett was a bit more passive about the news, telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Mostly a shoulder shrug from me. People like gambling. This is nothing new. I haven’t heard of any star players implicated, so it’s really not impacting me/us a whole lot.”
FBI director Kash Patel said the criminal operations involved "tens of millions of dollars" primarily from illegal sports betting and rigged poker games connected to Mafia-linked groups.
Rozier's supposed role goes back to a game with the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023 when he allegedly told a friend he would fake an injury early on so that others could make money by betting on his player props. The group allegedly won more than $250,000. Sports data firm U.S. Integrity detected suspicious betting patterns and alerted regulators, though the NBA initially found no wrongdoing.
Industry experts said the surge in player-prop markets has created new opportunities for manipulation. Matthew Holt, CEO of Gaming Compliance International, said broader market expansion, not gambling legalization itself, has made such cases more likely. Regulators noted that legal markets remain the most effective way to prevent crime.
Sportsbooks strengthen ties with teams, streaming platforms
As people pay more attention to sports betting integrity, regulated operators are forming stronger partnerships with professional leagues and media networks. In May, BetMGM became the Las Vegas Aces' official online casino and sportsbook partner.
It was the first such agreement between a major sportsbook and a women's professional sports team.
The deal emphasizes community involvement, with both parties pledging donations to The Just One Project, a Las Vegas-based nonprofit that tackles food insecurity.
More basketball-related partnerships emerged in September, with Amazon and NBCUniversal partnering with sportsbook operators FanDuel and DraftKings, respectively.
FanDuel announced it would collaborate with Amazon to offer official odds for NBA and WNBA games on Prime Video. The partnership adds integrated betting features like Odds View and live bet tracking, which let fans watch the market move during games.
DraftKings secured a multi-year advertising agreement with NBCUniversal, covering digital sponsorships and exclusive integrations across NBC's top sports properties. The partnership expands DraftKings' national exposure and underscores the growing convergence between sports media, betting, and entertainment, even as the industry faces renewed ethical challenges.
