Plenty more playing fraud could be on faucet — particularly at the school degree.

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was previously imprisoned for fixing video games, called the NBA’s large federal playing busts involving Trail Blazers coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and ex-Cavs player and asssistant Damon Jones just “the tip of the iceberg,” saying pupil athletes are doubtless throwing video games to make fast money and support themselves.

“I think this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Donaghy said Thursday during an look on NewsNation’s “Cuomo” with Chris Cuomo.

“You’re going to see maybe a more of a bigger scandal coming out of the college level, because you have these young athletes that aren’t going to make it to the next level, and somebody is going to offer them money to maybe fix a game and only win by 12 rather than 15 and they’re gonna take that money because they’re gonna need a way to support their families.”

NEW: Ex-NBA Ref Tim Donaghy Says the Real Scandal Is Coming

“I think this is just the tip of the iceberg… you’re going to see possibly a more of a greater scandal coming out of the school degree, because you have these younger athletes that aren’t going to make it to the next degree,… pic.twitter.com/PVN5OLsbKK

— UngaTheNice (@UngaTheNice) October 24, 2025

The former 13-year official has beforehand spoken about his playing habit, which sparked an FBI investigation in 2007 and led to his conviction for wire fraud and transmitting wagering info across state strains. 

He reportedly earned $300,000 for offering betting suggestions to bookies.

Tim Donaghy (backside proper) talking on the arrests. @UngaTheNice/X

Tim Donaghy refereeing in 2000. Getty Images

Donaghy pleaded responsible, claiming he had been pressured into the scheme by the Gambino crime household, and served roughly 11 months of a 15-month sentence before his 2009 launch.

FBI Director Kash Patel, who called Thursday’s prices “mind-boggling,” announced over 30 arrests, including associates from 4 New York mafia households, in the gorgeous playing crackdown.

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups leaving a courthouse Thursday. REUTERS

Terry Rozier during a 2025 sport with the Heat. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The arrests stemmed from a yearslong, 11-state investigation, Patel said.

One indictment targets a high-stakes unlawful playing ring accused of promoting insider info to sports activities bettors, while the other focuses on allegedly rigged poker video games, federal officers said.

The FBI has arrested 31 individuals concerned in a rigged poker sport ring backed by the New York City organized crime households.

  • Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
  • Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
  • Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
  • Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
  • Saul Becher — skilled poker player
  • Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
  • Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
  • Eric “Spooky” Earnest
  • Lee Fama — skilled poker player
  • John Gallo
  • Marco Garzon
  • Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo — reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
  • Jamie Gilet
  • Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
  • Kenny Han
  • Shane “Sugar” Henne
  • Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
  • Horatio Hu
  • Zhen “Scruli” Hu
  • Damon “Dee Jones” Jones — NBA player from 1998 to 2009
  • Joseph Lanni
  • John “John South” Mazzola
  • Curtis Meeks
  • Nicholas Minucci
  • Michael Renzulli
  • Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
  • Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
  • Robert “Black Rob” Stroud
  • Seth Trustman
  • Sophia “Pookie” Wei
  • Julius Ziliani
  • Billups faces prices in the unlawful poker scheme, while Rozier’s prices hyperlink to the sports activities betting investigation involving alleged prop guess manipulation. 

    Jones seems in both circumstances.

    Donaghy’s feedback come forward of the Nov. 1 begin of school athletes being allowed to guess on skilled sports activities in a surprising reversal.





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