Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty and has been released on a $5 million bond in the betting case that has dominated sports headlines.
The NBA Hall of Famer has denied allegations that he was involved in or knew of the inner workings of an alleged card game crime syndicate.
He and thirty-one other defendants in the case were appearing in Brooklyn Federal Court, which was the stuff of Hollywood mafia and high-tech movie plots.
Billup’s legal representation submitted the bond application to U.S. District Judge Ramon Reye. He and his defense team deny his involvement in the betting and poker scam, which has resulted in charges of money laundering and fraud against the former star.
Billups released on $5M bond
We covered the initial rumours swirling around the alleged trio of NBA stars, including Billups, former Raptors player Damon Jones, and active Miami Heat shooter Terry Rozier.
Billups and Rozier have been suspended without pay as a result, and the NBA Players’ Association has challenged the suspensions.
A spokesperson told NBC, “While we are in agreement with the league that upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance, their decision to place Terry on leave without pay is counter to the presumption of innocence and inconsistent with the terms of our Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
Then the FBI, in a blockbuster announcement, detailed the games involved in the scheme and the central mafia figures who allegedly orchestrated the poker plot.
Two New York locations were, according to the federal media brief, used to entice high roller players into card games for millions of dollars.
What these participants were unaware of was a finely tuned technological plot to strip them of their fortunes.
Advanced card-reading facilities, altered shuffling machines, and hidden wireless technology were used to reveal the winning hand via cell phone and filtered through a role titled “Quarterback.”
Where the NBA stars come into focus in the scheme was a two-fold approach that involved these Casino Royale-esque wagers and a supposed abuse of NBA betting rules for active players and managers.
NBA betting scandal
According to the FBI, NBA players were used as “Face Cards” to legitimize and entice fellow sporting professionals into card game environments.
What is not known is the link between these individuals, such as Billups, Jones, and Rozier, and the depth of the supposed parlay and prop betting investigations that are also ongoing.
The FBI alleges that Jones, Billups, and Rozier, who had insider knowledge of specific matters such as injury status, attempted to disclose these confidential matters to connections who aimed to profit from that NBA insider knowledge.
The severity of these instances has prompted NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to attend and report to Congress on the progress and the league’s internal investigations.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/vJ4bL2JwiC
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 23, 2025
“This investigation exposed a gambling ring built around the NBA, where players and associates allegedly used inside information and even faked injuries to fraudulently manipulate bets on games,” said Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD).
It remains to be seen if Billups, Jones, and Rozier will face further penalties by league officials until the conclusion of the cases. Still, the sports world watches on in anticipation to see how deep the betting scandal goes.
Featured image: Keith Allison via WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 2.0
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