Two separate gambling scandals have shaken the sports world to its core, and the ripple effects are still being felt. Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA champion Chauncey Billups was arrested last week as part of a federal probe into illegal gambling and organized crime.
Billups and others are alleged to have taken part in illegitimate and rigged poker games in locations around the country. Federal prosecutors have said that this illegal gambling ring has ties to crime families around New York, commonly known as the “Mafia” or the “mob.”
After Billups’ implication in the investigation, it was revealed that other professional athletes and coaches may have been involved. New reports have surfaced that one of those individuals may be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Allegations Against Antonio Gates
According to sports journalist Pablo Torre, former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates “hosted and played in an allegedly rigged Miami poker game.” Torre says the game was organized by Curtis Meeks, who was indicted by the federal government in association with its investigation.
🚨➕ Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates hosted — and played in — an allegedly rigged Miami poker game, sources with direct knowledge tell @pablofindsout, that was organized by Curtis Meeks. Meeks was indicted by the federal government Thursday.
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) October 26, 2025
Torre’s report follows an admission from an alleged victim who says he and others lost around $1 million in one night of poker, and that the game was hosted by a former NFL star.
“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,” the alleged victim told the New York Post last weekend.
The man says he was invited to the poker game and trusted the invitation because it came from “a solid group of people.”
“We would never have been there if not for the professional athlete.”
The allegation levied against Gates comes after more than 30 people were involved in last week’s federal indictment. Billups was named, as well as former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones. The indictment posits that Billups was a “face card” for the illicit games, allowing the orchestrators to lure in unsuspecting victims.
Several Athletes Allegedly Involved in Illegal Gambling
The FBI says the orchestrators set up the illegal poker games with rigged X-ray tables, card counters and special lenses/contact lenses that allowed them to count cards.
The man who spoke to the New York Post called Curtis Meeks “the most despicable human I’ve ever been around in my entire life.”
“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.”
Gates was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year after spending his entire career with the Chargers franchise. In 16 NFL seasons, Gates caught 116 receiving touchdowns – the most all-time by a tight end. He made five All-Pro teams and eight Pro Bowl appearances during his career.
