The FBI’s federal investigation into illegal sports gambling was no secret. The commonly held assumption was that, so far as the NBA was concerned, the main targets were former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and current free agent Malik Beasley. Now, it’s been learned that Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was under the microscope as well.
FBI Gambling Probe Finds Its Way To Trail Blazers, Coach Arrested
Less than an hour after it was reported that Rozier had been arrested in connection with the FBI’s gambling probe, Billups was arrested as well. At 10 a.m (EST), The Eastern District of New York and FBI director Kash Patel will hold a conference to announce the recent arrests they’ve made (h/t ESPN’s Shams Charania). Talk about an unforeseen turn of events!
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested by the FBI for alleged illegal gambling, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2025
Though Billups is no longer an active player, his arrest may be the most interesting of all.
In Rozier’s case, the questions stemmed from his tendency to check himself out of games or have subpar performances in games that he bet on. That’s essentially how Porter was caught as well, his charges leading to him receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA. In Beasley’s case, the focus was on the unexpected amount of betting interest in games starting in Jan. 2024. It’s less obvious how he skirted the rules, but he’s still a ‘subject’ of the investigation.
What Did Chauncey Billups Do?
For Billups to have his name in the hat with this trio, he may have made bets on Blazers games. If so, it’s arguable that he had even more influence on the outcome of the betting results than the players. After all, he has the power to choose who plays, when they play, and what their role is.
In any case, more will be learned soon enough. Stay tuned for updates on this mind-bending saga.
(Story updated at 9:15 am EST)
In another unforeseen turn of events, Billups’s arrest is in connection to “an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia,” per ABC News reporter Aaron Katersky.
Notably, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested after he was found to be hosting “illegal high-stakes poker games” (h/t ESPN’s Doug Greenberg) with a member of an “Israeli transnational organized crime group” (h/t U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California) and four others. Arenas was then released after posting $50,000 bond and the trial was set to begin on Sep. 23, 2025.
Billups could be walking down a similar path pretty soon.
© John Hefti-Imagn Images
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