NBA injuries, x-ray poker tables and the mafia: What we know about gambling arrests
FBI Director Kash Patel described the allegations to reporters as "mind-boggling". They include indictments in two major cases, officials said, both involving fraud. The first case is called "operation nothing but bet," in which players and associates allegedly used insider information to manipulate wagers on major sports betting platforms. Follow live updates In some cases, players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to ensure those bets were paid out, according to New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch. Those bets amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in profits. The second case is more complex in nature, officials said, and involved four of the five major crime families in New York as well as professional athletes. The accused in that case are alleged to have participated in a scheme to rig illegal poker games and steal millions of dollars. They did so using "very sophisticated" technology including off-the-shelf shuffling machines, special contact lenses and eye glasses to read pre-marked cards, according to authorities. They also used an X-ray table that could read cards that were face down. The victims were allegedly lured to play in these games with former professional athletes, who acted as "face cards" in the scheme. The victims were unaware that everyone, including the dealer and the other players, were in on the scam. Authorities said they began probing these poker games in 2019, spanning multiple locations including the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan. The accused allegedly laundered profits via bank wires and crypto currencies. They are also alleged to have committed acts of violence, including a robbery at gunpoint and extortion against victims. Both schemes amounted to tens of millions of dollars in theft and robbery across several years and 11 states, authorities said.