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Former NBA Star Gilbert Arenas Charged with Running Illegal Poker Operation
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, 43, has been federally charged for operating an illegal high-stakes poker operation in a mansion he rented out in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The charges, which include conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators, were announced in late July 2025. Arenas pleaded not guilty and was released on a $50,000 bond, with a trial date set for September 23, 2025.
The indictment indicates that Arenas knowingly rented the mansion and provided gambling equipment for the poker games, particularly Pot Limit Omaha, and collected fees from the pots. The co-conspirators, who have yet to be identified, managed the illegal games, recruited staff including women who served drinks and provided companionship in exchange for tips, and handled rent collecting.
Prosecutors say Arenas tried to mislead agents by denying involvement in a petition to recover seized funds from the property after a raid in July 2022. If convicted, Arenas and the other defendants could receive up to five years in federal prison for each count.
Arenas' career began unraveling in 2009 after a locker room incident involving guns and a gambling dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton. His involvement in yet another card-related scandal has reignited debate about the intersection of sports celebrity, gambling, and accountability.
The Department of Homeland Security assisted in the investigation, and the case is part of a broader crackdown on illegal gambling operations in Southern California. The Arenas case is one of several gambling-related prosecutions currently unfolding across federal jurisdictions, but authorities have not confirmed whether it is linked to other high-profile investigations such as the Eastern District of New York's probe into match-fixing and prop-bet manipulation involving professional athletes.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has extended the term of Bill Essayli as interim U.S. Attorney for the Central District, the office handling the Arenas case. Other co-defendants in the case include a suspected Israeli organized crime figure, Yevgeni Gershman, and three other men - Evgenni Tourevski, Allan Austria, and Yarin Cohen.
The Netflix documentary Untold: Shooting Guards revisits the card game argument that triggered a federal investigation into locker room gun possession involving Arenas. Damien LeForbes, a professional poker player, and Wayne Nix, a former Oakland A's minor leaguer, have pleaded guilty to gambling-related charges in the Central District and await sentencing. Matt Bowyer, a defendant in a previous illegal bookmaking case in the Central District, is scheduled for sentencing next month.
As the trial date approaches, Arenas' legal team will work to prove his innocence. For now, the former NBA player, once one of the league's top scorers and a three-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards, finds himself embroiled in another card-related scandal.
References
[1] Los Angeles Times
[2] ESPN
[3] CBS Sports
[4] Associated Press
- Despite his previous basketball career, Gilbert Arenas now faces federal charges for operating an online casino, focusing on high-stakes sports betting and poker games, in Los Angeles.
- The ongoing sports-betting scandal involving Arenas has brought the intersection of finance, casino-and-gambling, and crime-and-justice into the general news spotlight.
- Arenas' current legal troubles, including the illegal casino operation and false statements, come six years after a locker-room incident involving guns and a gambling dispute that tarnished his basketball career.
- The Southern California region has seen increased scrutiny in terms of sports-betting and casino-related activities, with the Arenas case forming part of a broader crackdown on illegal gambling operations.
- As the trial for sports betting and poker-related charges approaches, Arenas' team will work to defend his innocence, all while the former NBA player grapples with being embroiled in another scandal surrounding casino-games.
