By: Dominic Hummel

A recent investigation became public and put the NBA fans and sports betters in shock. The investigation revealed a link between rigged poker games, illegal betting schemes, and the arrest of the Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

According to NBC News, “The extraordinary federal takedown led to the arrests of more than 30 people across 11 states on charges including wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery and illegal gambling,” FBI Director Kash Patel said during a press conference. With the high number of arrests and severe variation of crimes ranging from money laundering to extortion, Patel’s official statement highlights the seriousness of this investigation.

“I think that due to the rise of online sports gambling, it attracts anybody who’s willing to take the risk, and that could definitely appeal to criminals,” Bellbrook High School business teacher Josh Craig said. “I believe that this investigation will help show the consequences of illegal sports betting activity.” Mr. Craig’s economics class holds yearly debates and one of the common topics is sports betting.

“I think that the NBA’s reputation will be tarnished due to this,” Bellbrook junior Alexander Nichols said. “With the amount of people getting arrested, it’s just an overall bad outlook for the organization.”

The NBA, now facing serious problems within their organization, is scrambling to revamp public trust and opinion. While the investigation is still ongoing, more information is still being released, the outcome of which could change the way people view sports gambling in the future.