The NBA gambling scandal is linked to mafia poker games and high-profile cheating schemes
FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday revealed allegations against current and former NBA players allegedly involved in two sports gambling scandals.
The NBA Gambling Scandal has brought the “Wild West” of private gambling, and it is only a matter of time before one of those involved will turn on others, said a leading casino inspection expert.
George Joseph, who made the poker investigation into a poker to cheat the state gambling commissions, told the fox in the business that the scope of the probe and the methods used by the criminals were not reached.
“I’m not surprised. The technology used for gambling has been around for a few years, but it’s very strong now,” he said.
“In casinos, surveillance coverage is great, but in private games, there is no such protection. It’s the wild west,” Joseph added.
Joseph’s comments came as FBI Director Kash Patel appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday night and highlighted “the systematic arrangement between La Cosa and Nosta and the people arrested today.”
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Miami Sheat Guard Terry Rozier was arrested Thursday as part of a broader FBI investigation into illegal gambling. (Tomas Dinez Santos / Getty Images / Getty Images)
Joseph’s warning also came after announcing the federal prosecutors
US Attorney Joseph NocLella Jr. he explained the charges Thursday at a news conference and described a network of illegal betting, mafia-based poker games, and high-tech fraud.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billips, Miami Sheat Guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were arrested.
The four New York crime families, Bonanno, Gambino, and Lucchese, and the Genovese organizations are also suspected and said to be involved.
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Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Bilips was arrested Thursday in connection with a sprawling FBI investigation into mixed card games. (Steph Rooms / Getty Images / Getty Images)
Joseph, whose primary business is training casinos and law enforcement in card and dice techniques, explained that the types of gambling investigative techniques used have actually evolved over time.
“There are camera feeds and infrared (IR) reading devices that can read the card and in this particular scam, they note the thin edge of the card,” he said.
“But in the beginning, this device was built with a mobile phone, and you would have to aim the cards after exiting the machine or after exchanging hands.
“Now they’ve miniaturized everything so it can hide on cufflinks, car key fobs, or inside the bankroll tray on the table where the dealer keeps the chips.
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A leading casino expert tells FOX Business that in private poker games, you have to trust the person who invited you.
“When the dealer puts the cards down next to that tray, he reads the barcode and transmits the information, and the information can be sent by radio from ear to ear, so the person can be told intuitively what they are betting on, or they can use simple communication signals to communicate.”
Josefa reiterated the dangers of unregulated gambling sites like the one described in a press conference on Thursday.
Joseph said: “In a private poker game, you have to trust the person who invited you.
“Now they have to determine who presented those cards written in this game, which means the promoter of the private game, whoever brought those cards, will be the main focus of law enforcement and prosecutors.
“They will need to establish a trail of investigation and find out who is providing the cards, and as always, law enforcement will be able to rely on an instructor, a plea agreement, or cooperation to get to the bottom of it.
“Eventually, someone will cooperate with the authorities and testify against others, because that’s usually how these cases are prosecuted,” he said.
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George Joseph, who is the founder of casino training and law enforcement in card methods and dice methods, explained that the types of methods for developing dice checks have evolved over time. (Chase Stevens / Las Vegas Review-Journal / @ CSSTEVENSHPHOTO / GETTY Images)
In this case, victims are said to have lost $7 million since 2019, including one person who lost $1.8 million in one night of gambling.
BILLUPS, prosecutors say at the Las Vegas Poker Game in April 2019, where at least $50,000 was stolen with the use of a sophisticated smoke machine.
Joseph said that while the poker game may have entered a small cycle of victims, the basketball scandal has been discovered further.
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“Poker is targeting a small group of people, while basketball is targeting an innocent bet that wasn’t in the fix,” he said.
“The basketball case has a very serious impact as it affects the integrity of the sport around the world.”
FOX Business has reached out to the NBA for comment.
