The NBA, the American professional basketball federation, is experiencing a major upheaval. Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, a veteran NBA player, was arrested this morning in Orlando, Florida, as part of a sports betting investigation conducted by U.S. federal authorities. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also arrested as part of the same investigation. In total, more than 30 people have been arrested.
According to Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for New York, the investigation has targeted an illegal basketball betting system in eleven different US states that allegedly involves several families of the Italian New York mafia: the Bonanos, the Gambinos, the Luccheses and the Genoveses.
This system—which generated millions of dollars in illicit profits—relied on secret information about athletes and teams, such as when players would be benched or leave a game early. Most of the bets were on single events, which were easier to manipulate. "It was a network reminiscent of a Hollywood movie," said FBI agent Ricky Patel, who led the investigation.
(Unioneonline)