The Daily — Mob Ties and Rigged Bets: Inside the N.B.A.’s Gambling Scandal
Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Natalie Kitroeff, Jonah Bromwich, Jenny Vrentas
Theme: An in-depth look into a multimillion-dollar illegal gambling scandal shaking the NBA, with ties to organized crime, rigged games, and the growing risks of legal sports betting.
Episode Overview
This episode explores federal indictments unveiled against more than 30 individuals, including current and former NBA players and coaches, for their roles in mafia-linked betting schemes: high-tech, rigged poker games and insider betting based on locker room secrets. Hosts and reporters break down the shockwaves sent through the sport, how the rise of legal betting has shaped the landscape, and what this means for basketball and beyond.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Breaking News: A Federal Scandal Rocks the NBA
- [00:10–01:49]
- FBI announces multiple criminal indictments tied to illegal gambling, “right out of a movie” with mob connections, high-profile NBA figures, and game manipulation.
- More than 30 arrests, including active players and coaches.
- Quote:
- “This is right out of a movie. You’re talking about mob stuff… the manipulation of professional basketball games to rig and win bets.”
— Natalie Kitroeff [00:19]
- “This is right out of a movie. You’re talking about mob stuff… the manipulation of professional basketball games to rig and win bets.”
2. The Poker Game Conspiracy: Tech and the Mafia
- [01:49–08:05]
- FBI Director Kash Patel details two main schemes: a mafia-backed poker scam and "insider trading" within the NBA.
- Poker Scheme:
- High-tech shuffling machines, decoy phones, invisible-ink cards, and special contact lenses used to cheat.
- Mafia families (Bonannos, Gambinos, Genoveses, Luccheses) hosted games in secret NYC locations.
- NBA figures (notably coach Chauncey Billups) lured high-rolling victims and allegedly took cuts.
- One victim lost $1.8 million in one game.
- Quote:
- “They had playing cards with invisible ink markings you could only see with special contact lenses… The shuffling machine could analyze the strength of every hand and signal the operator.”
— Jonah Bromwich [05:33]
- “They had playing cards with invisible ink markings you could only see with special contact lenses… The shuffling machine could analyze the strength of every hand and signal the operator.”
3. Insider Betting: “The NBA’s Insider Trading”
- [08:05–12:07]
- NBA player Terry Rozier allegedly told his circle about an early injury exit, enabling rigged bets on his game stats (“prop bets”).
- Prop bets let gamblers wager on highly granular events like a player’s point total.
- Damon Jones (Lakers assistant) allegedly used roster knowledge to alert others about absences, believed to involve LeBron James (referred to as “Player 3” in indictments; LeBron not implicated).
- Quotes:
- “Rozier… told his co-conspirators, ‘Hey, I'm going to go out of this game early with an injury, and no one knows…’ Knowing that was an enormous advantage.”
— Jonah Bromwich [08:50] - “The description of Player 3 in the indictment perfectly matches LeBron James… you can see why this is such a huge problem for the NBA.”
— Jonah Bromwich [11:20]
- “Rozier… told his co-conspirators, ‘Hey, I'm going to go out of this game early with an injury, and no one knows…’ Knowing that was an enormous advantage.”
4. The Explosion of Sports Betting: Financial Boon and Integrity Risk
- [13:10–19:40]
- Supreme Court decision in 2018 led to legal sports betting spreading rapidly.
- Betting now integrated into every facet of sports (stadium signage, live in-game odds, licensing deals).
- Prop bets are a huge part of the business and create new vulnerabilities for manipulating outcomes.
- Betting drives fan engagement—building bigger TV deals and sponsorships.
- Quotes:
- “Even I am surprised how quickly betting became embedded into how we consume sports.”
— Jenny Vrentas [16:41] - “Prop bets… if you limited them, you would potentially reduce the amount that people bet by around 20%. That’s significant.”
— Jenny Vrentas [21:09]
- “Even I am surprised how quickly betting became embedded into how we consume sports.”
5. Fans, Players, and the Collateral Damage
- [19:40–24:07]
- Integrity is essential for everyone: leagues, sportsbooks, fans.
- Proliferation of prop bets opens the door for more manipulation.
- Players now face harassment, suspicion, and pressure, even as they had no say in the sports betting boom.
- Lower-paid athletes, college players, or those with vulnerable social circles might be at higher risk.
- Quote:
- “Players… get harassing messages from angry bettors whose bets didn’t go their way. And a lot of players have started to speak out about this.”
— Jenny Vrentas [22:55] - “They haven’t had any input into that. This is the world they’re playing in.”
— Jenny Vrentas [24:02]
- “Players… get harassing messages from angry bettors whose bets didn’t go their way. And a lot of players have started to speak out about this.”
6. Could It Go Further? Worries About Widespread Corruption
- [24:08–25:17]
- Indictment involves multiple teams, games, years, and both players and coaches, raising concerns of how deep the problem goes.
- The episode closes on the unsettling notion that this may be "just the tip of the iceberg."
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- Mob and Movie Parallels:
- “The mafia still exists in New York. And one of the ways they make money is by getting these operations off the street and at the poker table.”
— Jonah Bromwich [04:54]
- “The mafia still exists in New York. And one of the ways they make money is by getting these operations off the street and at the poker table.”
- The Era of Prop Bets:
- “The volume and types of bets has exploded exponentially over the last few years… more opportunity for manipulation.”
— Jenny Vrentas [17:18]
- “The volume and types of bets has exploded exponentially over the last few years… more opportunity for manipulation.”
- Fundamental Question of Trust:
- “People watch this game because they think it’s real and fair.”
— Unidentified Guest/Panelist [00:49]
- “People watch this game because they think it’s real and fair.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Breaking News: FBI Announcement | 00:10–01:49 | | Mafia Poker Scheme and Technology | 01:49–08:05 | | Insider Betting: Rozier/Jones Details | 08:05–12:07 | | Sports Betting Explosion and Business | 13:10–19:40 | | Impact on Fans, Players, Competitive Trust | 19:40–24:07 | | Concerns Over Widespread Manipulation | 24:08–25:17 |
Conclusion
The episode lays out a sobering portrait of how organized crime, new technology, and legalized gambling have combined to challenge the basic integrity of American sports, especially basketball. As legal betting spreads, the episode highlights both the financial incentives for leagues and the risks of creating so many means for manipulation. The discussion closes with a warning: what began as a “movie-like” scandal may have deeper roots, requiring urgent rethinking from the NBA and other leagues to protect players, fans, and the reputation of the game itself.