Meyer Lansky II explains mob ties with athletes amid NBA arrests
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Two former NBA players, one of whom is a Hall of Famer, were arrested Thursday for their alleged involvement in a fraudulent poker scheme that also listed members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families as defendants.
Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones (the latter of whom is also a defendant in the sports betting case with Terry Rozier) were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
It is alleged that the two knowingly took part in fraudulent poker games called “face cards”. The Department of Justice said they were “members of Cheat Squads and received a portion of the proceeds of crime in exchange for their participation in the schemes.”
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Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were arrested Thursday as part of an illegal poker scheme. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images; Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“Billups and Jones were used to lure victims to the games, particularly due to their status as former professional athletes,” the Justice Department said.
The scheme caused victims to lose at least $7.15 million by April 2019, according to the Department of Justice.
But one might wonder what could be driving those who have had successful NBA careers, both while playing and off the bench, into allegedly engaging in such schemes.
“Well, they’re people who like to take risks. There’s a lot of adrenaline in athletes like that,” Meyer Lansky II, the grandson of the infamous gangster, said in a recent interview on Fox News Digital. “In addition to having millions paid to them by a team, they think they can make more by gambling. Or they have gambling addictions. There are a lot of people like that. They just want to be involved. Maybe they like the connection they have with the people who are responsible for it, or the people who are behind those gambling rigs and situations.”
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups watches from the sidelines during the first half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Moda Center on April 6, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im/Imagn Images)
WHO ARE CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, TERRY ROZIER AND DAMON JONES? PEOPLE ARRESTED IN NBA ILLEGAL GAMBLING INVESTIGATION PROBLEM
Lansky II added that a sense of potential power comes from the athletes themselves.
“I think anyone who gets paid an extraordinary amount of money and has a lot of fans behind them, yeah, ‘Nothing can happen to me. Why don’t I do this?’ They can get to the point of blinding your vision. I think this is not just about sports, but all kinds of infrastructure. This is a very powerful thing. “Money, power and fame sometimes take over,” he said.
As for the Mafia, “sport was always a big thing” according to Lansky II.
“It was pretty easy to fix. Always helpful…” he said. “Yes, I think it’s pretty easy to access. You can do it because if you’re in casinos, you’re under surveillance and you’re watching people, and it’s a lot riskier than sports betting.”
As gambling becomes legal across the country, it becomes much easier for athletes to become involved in activities that harm the integrity of the game. However, Lansky II believes that illicit connections and schemes will always be revealed for more than one reason.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups leaves the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse following a hearing following his arrest on federal gambling charges on October 23, 2025 in Portland, Oregon, USA. (John Rudoff/Reuters)
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“Protection – you don’t need to come up with the upfront money, most of the time you put it in with a bookie. If you don’t pay they’ll call you, but you know, there are reasons like that, they have great control and great power. They have different ways of doing things with someone. Maybe they’re effective themselves when they talk A. actor. They have a connection with the mafia, celebrities, athletes, and sometimes they like this connection. He gives them something. It’s a strong presence in our society, so that’s one of the reasons. And they trust them.”
On Tuesday, Lansky II will release a book he co-authored, “The Lansky Legacy,” that tells the “truth” about his grandfather and dispels “many misconceptions” about him.
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