How did Chauncey Billups Get Involved in Illegal Poker Games Run By Mobsters?

Chauncey Billups was arrested on Thursday as part of the widespread investigation into sports betting in the NBA and underground, rigged poker games.

He was arrested in Oregon and appeared in court on Thursday. His attorney, Chris Heywood, protested his innocence, stating, “Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others.”

He is alleged to have taken part in the rigged poker games as a “face card,” using his celebrity status to attract “fish” who were victims in the scheme. For one game in October 2020, he was apparently paid $50,000. While this amount would be considerable for many, for a former NBA MVP and five-time All-Star, it seems like pocket change.

The former NBA MVP earned over $100 million in his playing career. Billups has been the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers since 2021 and has a salary of almost $5 million a year.

Heywood added, “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”

The NBA announced that Terry Rozier and Billups would be put on immediate leave during the ongoing investigations. Billups did not enter a plea and was released on certain conditions. They include restrictions on travel and no gambling activity.

Billups Participated in Rigged Poker Games

Billups has been named in the poker indictment, facing charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. In addition to the October 2020 game, the document states that he participated in another in April 2019 in Las Vegas.

In a press release announcing the charges in the case, Attorney Joseph Nocella stated, “Well-known former NBA players and former professional athletes, acted as ‘Face Cards’ to lure unsuspecting victims to high-stakes poker games, where they were then at the mercy of concealed technology, including rigged shuffling machines and specially designed contact lenses and sunglasses to read the backs of playing cards, which ensured that the victims would lose big.”

It is not known whether Billups actively participated in the rigging. The indictment says he and the other face cards, including former NBA player and coach Damon Jones, “received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation.”

The games reportedly defrauded victims of just over $7 million. Billups was paid $4.7 million by the Trail Blazers to coach the team during the 2024-25 season.

Shaquille O’Neal accused his former fellow players of greed. Upon hearing the news, Shaq stated, “I know Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones very well. I’m ashamed that those guys would put their families and careers in jeopardy. If you’re making $9 million a year, how much more do you need?”

Put this way, the risk does not match the reward. Was Billups in financial trouble? Was he in debt to the mob? Three Mafia families are also named in the indictment: the Gambino, Bonanno, and Genovese crime families.

Despite earning over $100 million in his playing career and a good portion more as a coach, Billups’ net worth is estimated to be around $35 million. He sold off properties in Michigan and Colorado for around $300,000 less than he paid for them, despite his wife being a real estate agent.

Billups Allegedly Fed Lineup Info to Bettors

If it were merely playing in some poker games in Vegas and New York, then it could be argued that Billups was unaware of the shady background of the rigged games. The organizers used a range of high-tech equipment to read cards and feed information to players to ensure the victims lost.

However, Billups is also engulfed in the sports betting scandal. He is not named explicitly but does appear in the document as “co-conspirator 8.” The description matches Billups as “an individual whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, was a resident of Oregon. Co-Conspirator 8 was an NBA player from approximately 1997 through 2014, and an NBA coach since at least 2021.”

One match flagged was the Trail Blazers against the Bulls on March 24, 2023. The indictment notes that co-conspirator 8 told Eric Earnest, said to be a long-time friend, that several players would sit out the game. This information was then fed to others named in the indictment, including Marves Fairley, who sold the tip to subscribers of his service, Vezino Locks.

The US District Attorney’s office notes that, before that information became public, Fairley and his associates wagered over $100,000 against the Blazers. When the lineup change was later confirmed, betting lines shifted dramatically, and the group’s early bets yielded major winnings.

Billups’ attorney again denies his client fed insider information for betting purposes, stating, “Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to.”

In the coming months, more details will inevitably come to light as to why Billups has become embroiled in the scandal and how much he is complicit. Heywood ended his statement by declaring, “Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”