Sports Betting & Poker Scandals and the Bigger One Too – Top 3 Takeaways, October 24th, 2025
Takeaway #1: This is what they care about
This week we’ve had bombshell evidence produced by the Department of Homeland Security that shows that FEMA literally made life and death decisions based on political affiliations and gun ownership for nearly four years under the Biden administration. What we learned is that victims of at least 491 emergencies that FEMA responded to, including 233 declared disasters between August of 2021 and January of 2025 were potentially denied assistance due to political affiliation or gun ownership. We learned that in Florida, this included periods covering the impacts of Hurricanes Salley, Ian, Nicole, Idalia, Debby, Helene, and Milton (in addition to a rash of tornadoes in April of 2023 – that brought about a major disaster declaration). But that apparently isn’t of concern to your GSS news media. That, that story isn’t the biggest story locally, statewide and for that matter nationally this week – tells you all you need to know about the credibility of your news media at large. But hey, a poo-for-brains player for the Miami Heat is found to have been involved in a sports betting ring...now that’s a story they care about. What exactly does that say about the state of our news media, yes, but also society generally today? But let’s start there with the sports betting and poker scandals that led to the arrests of a bunch of criminally dishonest idiots and traditional mafia thugs yesterday. So yes, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones were among 34 taken down in two separate schemes by the FBI on Thursday. As we learned during yesterday’s presser, the sports betting scandal involved inside information about the health of players, what was going on with teams and the actual manipulation of outcomes on the court, often to affect prop bets. This at times even included faked injuries. The poker operation, which Hall-of-Fame player and current coach Chancey Billups actively participated in was a scandal run straight through the Italian mafia with sophisticated cheating methods. When I talk about poo-for-brains for the headliners, let’s start here. Chauncey Billups is someone who earned $107 million during his playing career and is currently earning $4.7 million per year as Portland’s coach. The entire alleged scheme he was wrapped up in doesn’t equal the value of what he’s earned in his career. Additionally, he owns dozens of businesses including over 30 Wendy’s franchises. But as dumb as Chauncey might be, Terry Rozier takes the cake. The Miami Heat guard has earned over $160 million and currently is earning $26.6 million per year as part of a $96 million fully guaranteed contract. Based on the early available information on the size and scale of his criminal involvement, he earned more last year than the total value of his criminal involvement in the sports betting scam. And this brings me to...
Takeaway #2: The bigger thing
The aforementioned weren’t just poo-for-brains morons for hire – they're certain to be the tip of the iceberg. Here’s the bigger picture to consider, and it’s among the many reasons why gambling isn’t a particularly smart thing. If two people who’d earned well over $100 million in their careers and were earning many millions this year were involved in these things...what do you think is really happening with many who aren’t big names, who don’t have paydays anywhere close to those two? It just so happened to be the case that last Friday I brought you the information that 96% of people who bet on sports, lose money doing it. I broke out all of the reasons why, starting with the fact that win you lose, you lose your entire bet, but when you win, the House takes an average of 10% of what you won, creating almost impossible winning odds for anyone who regularly plays. And also, that people increasingly do parlays which only maximizes the likelihood of losses. But it says something when the universe of sports bettors only perform marginally better than those who buy lottery tickets. Aside from the reality that the house always wins...there’s the other dynamic in play. Unquantified levels of potential corruption. Virtually every coach, every player, is aware of the spread for their game independent of prop bets. For example, consider this. Lane Kiffin, former coach of the FAU Owls, current coach of Mississippi, and the man rumored to be the top choice to be the next head coach at the University of Florida – said this in September following a win against Kentucky that didn’t beat the spread: Really glad how the players played, especially in the second half and the second quarter, they fought hard. That's a really hard team that plays really close games, so proud of our guys. Sorry to all the gamblers there at the end. To me at the time, I raised an eyebrow because he said the quiet part out loud as a coach. But the point is this – they all know. From props to lines – players and coaches in all sports know and there are no shortage of friends, family, or say organized crime rings who want inside information or better still, will flat pay off players or coaches for outcomes. But where it’s most pervasive is likely where...
Takeaway #3: People aren’t looking
How many professional athletes aren’t making the money of their most wealthy teammates but want to keep up with the Joneses (independent of those who have poo for brains and a lack of integrity)? But more likely still... How many college athletes aren’t on big NIL deals? How many will never go pro? How many are hungry for money and seemingly have far less visibility and perceived risk? The reality is that the bigger sports betting scandals are likely to take place with unheralded college athletes straight through division two and three that can easily affect things without too much attention. Though I don’t know, I suspect that what’s been uncovered is just scratching the surface of what really takes place. Kind of like that scapegoated FEMA supervisor a year ago fired for passing over 20 homes of Trump supporters...when in reality FEMA had engaged in political bias of emergency service for nearly four years across 491 emergencies. Just like Washington D.C., and the Democrat Party specifically, bring out the worst in people. How many good, honest, truly decent people are engaged in lots of gambling and sports betting? And I say that with love for my friend the Greek.