A sweeping FBI investigation sent shockwaves through the sports world on Thursday, culminating in the high-profile arrests of NBA figures Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier. But for Big Blue Nation, the story hit closer to home, as a former Kentucky Wildcat was also named in the federal probe.
A tangled web: Betting and poker rings
The multi-year investigation, detailed by federal authorities, encompasses two overlapping operations targeting corruption in sports and gaming. "Operation Nothing But Bet" focused on illegal sports gambling allegedly involving insider NBA information, while "Operation Royal Flush" uncovered a sophisticated network of rigged high-stakes poker games.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player/coach Damon Jones were central figures in the betting indictment. They allegedly used non-public information between late 2022 and early 2024 to guide bets, subsequently laundering the profits and splitting it with those who made the bets.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Jones were implicated in the poker ring, accused of acting as lures for rigged games operating across Las Vegas, New York City, and The Hamptons since 2019. The FBI alleged the use of altered shuffling machines and marked cards, with ties to organized crime families financing the operation and collecting debts.
Billups was a teammate of Tayshaun Prince in Detroit, winning a title with the Pistons before transitioning to coach.
The Wildcat connection: De’Niro Laster
Amidst the NBA names, former Kentucky linebacker De’Niro Laster emerged as a figure in the sports betting case, according to Jon Hale of the Lexington Herald-Leader, citing court filings.
The federal documents allege Laster served as a crucial link, acting as a go-between who transmitted insider information from Rozier to a network of bettors. These bettors then allegedly wagered on Rozier’s individual unders to turn a profit based on that non-public information, which is key here. That makes it almost like insider trading. Laster played under Mark Stoops at Kentucky in 2016.
In other words, Laster would tell the betters when Rozier was going to leave a game early, and then they'd bet a lot of money on his unders; he would leave the game, and they'd win. An over/under is a set point for a bet, in this case it would be points, rebounds, assists or other stats categories. If you bet the under, you believe the player will not get that total, and if you bet the over, then they will get more. These guys knew Rozier would hit the under, and took that bet.
What happens next?
Billups and Rozier appeared in federal court Thursday, with Rozier released on $6 million bond and Billups surrendering his passport. Jones faces charges related to both operations. Authorities stressed that both investigations are “ongoing and expanding,” leaving open the possibility of further arrests or more information released.
All individuals named, including Laster, are presumed innocent until proven guilty. This is just a telling of events as they are currently published and known, and will be updated as information is released. It does end up raising questions about the reach of illegal gambling networks within the broader sports ecosystem, but that's a conversation for another day.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion