The Daily Mob Ties and Rigged Bets: Inside the N.B.A.’s Gambling Scandal
36 snips
Oct 27, 2025 
Jonah E. Bromwich, a New York Times reporter specializing in criminal justice, and Jenny Vrentas, who covers sports influence, dive deep into a major gambling scandal engulfing the NBA. They discuss the shocking FBI indictments involving mafia ties, high-stakes poker games, and players potentially rigging bets. The conversation highlights the explosive rise of online betting and the risks it poses to the integrity of sports. They also explore the financial entanglements between leagues and betting companies, raising concerns about widespread manipulation.
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High-Tech Mafia Poker Scheme
- Jonah Bromwich describes mafia-run, high-tech poker games that used players as bait to attract victims.
- Victims lost millions in single sessions, including a John Doe who lost $1.8 million in one game.
Gadgets Enabled Poker Collusion
- The cheating used gadgets: marked cards, special lenses, decoy phones and shuffling machines that signaled an outside operator.
- Teams coordinated inside knowledge to ensure their cheaters had the winning hands.
Insider Trading Parallel In Bets
- Jonah Bromwich compares the alleged NBA betting scheme to insider trading because players used private information for profit.
- Terry Rozier allegedly told conspirators he'd exit a game early, letting them win prop bets on his reduced scoring.