U.S. authorities announced several high-profile arrests on Thursday, including that of a star player and a coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA), for alleged illegal sports betting.

Among those arrested are the coach of the Portland Trail Blazers player Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier were reportedly arrested after their teams' games on Wednesday.

The arrests are part of an extensive investigation into illegal gambling that the FBI says led to two indictments: one against players allegedly faking injuries to influence betting odds, and another involving an illegal poker ring with ties to organized crime.

Here's what we know about the cases.

What are the charges?

FBI Director Kash Patel described the allegations as “shocking” to the press.

Indictments were filed in two major fraud-related cases, authorities said.

The first case is dubbed “Operation Nothing But Gambling,” in which players and associates allegedly used insider information to manipulate bets on major sports betting platforms.

In In some cases, players altered their performance or withdrew from games to ensure those bets were paid out, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Those bets amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in winnings. The second case is more complex, authorities say, and involves four of New York's five major crime families, as well as professional athletes. The defendants in that case allegedly participated in a scheme to rig illegal poker games and steal millions of dollars. To do so,They used “highly sophisticated” technology, including commercial shuffling machines, special contact lenses, and glasses to read the pre-marked cards, authorities said. They also used an X-ray table that could read face-down cards.

The victims were allegedly tricked into playing these games with former professional athletes, who acted as “face cards” in the scam. The victims were unaware that everyone, including the dealer and other players, was participating in the scam.

Authorities said they began investigating these poker games in 2019, spanning several locations, including the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan.

The defendants allegedly laundered profits through wire transfers and cryptocurrency.

They are also accused of committing acts of violence, including robbery at gunpoint and extortion against the victims.

Both scams amounted to tens of millions of dollars in robberies and thefts over several years and in 11 states, according to authorities.

Which players have been arrested?

In total, authorities say 34 defendants were indicted on charges related to the two fraud cases.

Six were charged in the first case, in which players allegedly faked injuries to influence betting odds, including Miami Heat player Rozier.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that in March 2023, Rozier, then playing for the Charlotte Hornets, allegedly tipped off people close to him that he was planning to leave a game early because of a suspected injury.

Members of the group used that information to place fraudulent bets and profit heavily, she said.

Commissioner Tisch said after Rozier’s arrest Thursday that his “career is already on the sidelines, not because of injury, but because of integrity.”

Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested. He is said to have been involved in two games that were allegedly part of the scheme: the February 2023 Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks game and the January 2024 Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game.

Authorities have identified a total of seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 that were involved in the scheme:

February 9, 2023 – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks

March 23, 2023 – Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans

March 24, 2023 – Portland Trail Blazers vs. Chicago Bulls

April 6, 2023 – Orlando Magic vs.Cleveland Cavaliers

January 15, 2024 – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

January 26, 2024 – Toronto Raptors vs. Los Angeles Clippers

March 20, 2024 – Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings

The second case, related to illegal poker games, involved a total of 31 defendants, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Billups, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

Authorities reported that three of the defendants were charged in both cases. Thirteen members and associates of New York's Bonanon, Genovese, and Gambino crime families have also been indicted in the illegal poker case.

The charges include robbery, extortion, wire fraud, bank fraud, and illegal gambling.

The defendants were arrested and will appear in court soon.

What has the NBA said about the charges?

In a statement Thursday, the NBA said it is reviewing the announced federal charges and is cooperating with authorities.

The league added that Rozier and Billups will be suspended from their teams immediately.

"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our sport remains our highest priority," the statement said.

Who are New York's notorious "Five Families"?

Authorities said the alleged scheme involved four of the five families New York's most notorious mobsters.

The Five Families (Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese) have ruled the city's Italian-American Mafia since 1931.

Major mob takedowns reduced the prevalence of mob activity in the 1990s, aided by the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

However, as Thursday's indictments show, the mob hasn't entirely disappeared.

The Five Families are part of the larger American-Sicilian mafia network known as La Cosa Nostra (which means “this thing of ours”), and its members often work closely with their counterparts in Sicily.

In Italy, mobsters consider New York City a “gym” where Its members come to strengthen themselves, Anna Sergi, a professor of criminology and expert on modern organized crime, previously told the BBC.

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