Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was one of the people arrested on Thursday morning as part of a massive FBI investigation into illegal gambling, and many fans are convinced that Gilbert Arenas is somehow involved.
Authorities announced in a press conference on Thursday that Billups has been charged in connection with an illegal poker ring that was tied to several different Mafia organized crime families. The operation allegedly involved targeted victims — referred to as ‘fish’ — who were invited to play in high-stakes poker games that were rigged through various methods of cheating. The participants were allegedly lured by being offered a chance to play alongside former professional athletes, including Billups.
You can read more details here.
Billups’ arrest comes less than three months after Arenas and several others were arrested in California on a federal indictment. Arenas, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of renting out an Encino, Calif., mansion he owned from Sept. 2021-July 2022, to be used to host illegal poker games.
One of the five other people arrested is listed by the Department of Justice as a suspected organized crime figure from Israel named Yevgeni Gershman. Arenas is accused of having hired someone to help organize high-stakes poker games. Gershman and his associates allegedly paid Arenas rent for the mansion, and then took a “rake” from the poker gambling pots. Taking a rake, which is a house fee for running and hosting the game, is illegal.
The cases involving Billups and Arenas share a lot of similarities. That led fans to theorize that Arenas has been working with authorities and ratted on his fellow former NBA player and others.
The FBI: Who the NBA is gambling and we will let you go.
— Jason Williams (@jasoneg33) October 23, 2025
Gilbert Arenas: pic.twitter.com/6xFACLZdcL
Gilbert Arenas snitching on Chauncey Billups
— Phil (@Phxlly) October 23, 2025
pic.twitter.com/IOVJ7nUfeP
Gilbert Arenas snitched on everyone 💀 pic.twitter.com/7R9qKT8pf9
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) October 23, 2025
They saying this was Gilbert Arenas in that integration room. pic.twitter.com/vnJLOmI5QR
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) October 23, 2025
Arenas spent two days in jail and 30 days in a halfway house as part of a probationary period for a gun charge in 2010. After he was arrested in July, he suggested in a social media live stream that he will be “snitching” on people to avoid going to jail again.
The FBI made no mention on Thursday of any potential tie between the case involving Arenas and the one that led to Billups being arrested. The poker games that Billups is alleged to have taken part in were held in places across the United States including The Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan. Authorities did not mention California or any organized crime figures outside of the U.S.
For now, it seems like it is a coincidence that Arenas and Billups are both facing charges over alleged illegal poker rings. That will not stop conspiracy theorists from having fun with the narrative.
