Damon Jones Pleads Guilty in NBA Betting Poker Scam
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Damon Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for a sports‑betting scheme that used nonpublic NBA injury information from Dec 2022 to Mar 2024.
- Damon Jones acted as a “face card” in rigged poker games in Miami and the Hamptons, luring high‑end bettors and cheating more than 10 victims out of $9.5 million.
- Terry Rozier faces additional charges in the same sports‑betting case, prosecutors announced Monday.
- Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall will sentence Jones on the betting charge on Jan 6, with guideline range of 21‑27 months.
- Judge Ramon Reyes will preside over the poker case, where a potential sentence is 48‑63 months after a 15‑month reduction.
- NBA confronts reputational fallout as a former player exploited insider information and helped rig high‑stakes poker games.
Why it matters: The NBA and sportsbooks lose trust as a former insider’s fraud cost victims $9.5 million; the DOJ’s conviction deters future insider betting and may push leagues to tighten data‑access policies.
