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Details have been revealed about the technology used to rig poker games as part of the illegal gambling scheme that allegedly included NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and retired NBA player Damon Jones.
Documents released by the FBI allege that the conspirators used a card shuffling machine that used hidden technology to read the cards in the game, predict which player at the table had the best hand and relay that information via interstate cables to an off-site operator.
According to the documents, this operator communicated this information to a lead conspirator at the poker table, who used signals to relay the information to other conspirators at the table.
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The FBI documents also allege that cheating players used other technologies, including microchip decks that could secretly read cards placed on the table, card analyzers that could also detect which cards were on the table, and invisible markings placed on cards that could only be seen using contact lenses or specially designed glasses.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting was widely legalized in the United States,” and detailed the type of technology used during a news conference Thursday.
“They used commercial shuffling machines that had been secretly modified to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand and transmit that information to an off-site operator,” Nocella said.
NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS AND HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED IN FBI GAMING INVESTIGATION
A green poker table with poker cards is seen during the 2021 World Series of Poker at the RIO All-Suite Hotel & Casino on October 6, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Diego Ribas/PxImages)
“Defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip deck analyzers, which are decks of poker chips that secretly read cards using a hidden camera, special contact lenses or glasses capable of reading pre-marked cards, and an x-ray table capable of reading face-down cards on the table.”
Billups and Jones were allegedly used as celebrities to attract competitors for the allegedly rigged poker games.
The DOJ said that in April 2019, Billups was one of five defendants who “organized and participated in rigged poker games” in Las Vegas “using a rigged shuffling machine,” with victims losing at least $50,000. One of the defendants texted another co-conspirator to say that Billups should deliberately lose his hand to avoid suspicion of cheating.
During that match, a defendant said one of the victims “acted like she wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “hit by Billups,” according to officials.
In October 2020, Billups allegedly received $50,000 following a rigged poker game. Before a match, Jones allegedly asked for a $10,000 advance and said he “needed” a “bad” action. He received $2,500.
Poker cards and former NBA player Chauncey Billups (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Billups’ career earnings exceeded $100 million as a player, while Jones earned at least $20 million.
More than 30 people were arrested Thursday for their alleged roles in the two schemes.
