The NBA’s ongoing gambling controversy may have just claimed its first victim in the NFL circle. On Sunday, journalist Pablo Torre claimed that Hall of Famer Antonio Gates had hosted and played in an allegedly rigged poker tournament organized in Miami by Curtis Meeks, who was indicted by the federal government on Thursday as part of “Operation Royal Flush.”
This development comes in the wake of multiple arrests made by the FBI on Thursday. Among those implicated were Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones.
A statement from United States Attorney Joseph Nocella revealed that famous former players acted as “face cards” to lure unsuspecting players, referred to as “fish,” to poker games. At these games, suspects allegedly used rigged shuffling machines and specially designed contact lenses and sunglasses to read the backs of playing cards, ensuring that the victims would lose big.
The statement concluded: “Today’s indictment and arrests sound the final buzzer for these cheaters.”
Antonio Gates was not among those arrested, and he has yet to comment on the matter.
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### NFL Player Allegedly Involved as Front Man in Gambling Scheme
In a related development, a purported victim of the NBA gambling ring shared a harrowing experience of losing $1 million in a single night. In an interview with the New York Post, he described how he and some friends were invited to a poker game by a professional athlete identified as a former NFL player.
“During the game, we were around a bunch of bad guys, and they were trying to suck every bit away from us. And they did. They did a good job, and I’m still shell-shocked to this day from that night,” he stated.
The victim went on to condemn alleged ringleader Curtis Meeks as “the most despicable human I’ve ever been around in my entire life.”
He added, “The level he will go to get other people’s money is just disgusting. I’ve since found out that what he’s done to us, he’s done to many other people. This was not a freak occurrence.”
So far, the NFL has declined to comment on the situation as investigations continue.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/news-nfl-hofer-antonio-gates-accused-participating-allegedly-rigged-miami-poker-game-3-days-chauncey-billups-arrest-nba-gambling-scandal
