10/27/2025

More than 30 arrested in NBA gambling probes

Chauncey Billups, an NBA Hall of Fame player and head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, a guard with the Miami Heat, are among more than 30 people charged in connection with two separate but related federal gambling investigations. Some were accused of selling inside information about the status of players and teams to online bettors. Others were accused of luring players into rigged poker games run by organized crime.

■Class discussion: Is gambling a threat to sports and athletes? Sports betting companies made nearly $14 billion last year, and they paid teams and leagues hundreds of millions of dollars as “official betting partners.” Could these profitable partnerships end up driving away suspicious fans? Do you think games are being rigged? How do sports bookmakers make so much money? Are average bettors on apps like FanDuel and DraftKings more likely to make or lose money with the odds stacked against them?