The alleged perpetrators include members of organised crime families, officials sayNBA stars Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones are among those arrested in separate, but related, illegal gambling cases, according to the FBI.
The first case alleges six defendants used insider information and in some cases players altered their performances to manipulate bets.
The second involves 31 defendants accused of participating in rigged illegal poker games.
The alleged perpetrators include members of organised crime families, officials say, with defendants accused of using special contact lenses and X-ray poker tables to read others' cards.
The NBA says Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier are being placed on immediate leave from their teams as the investigation continues.
FBI Director Kash Patel says the "mind-boggling" fraud involved tens of millions of dollars across many years. Officials outlined the charges in detail at a news conference earlier.
Here are the major takeaways from the news conference:
- More than 30 people have been arrested in a sweeping investigation into fraudulent sports gambling and betting that began several years ago
- The investigations included alleged illegal and rigged gambling activities in which the perpetrators used special technology including contact lenses to read cards, manipulate shuffles, and communicate with others
- They enticed their victims with the prospect of playing alongside notable individuals including athletes, officials say
- Charges include wire and crypto fraud, money laundering, extortion, and armed robbery, officials says
- Another scheme involved players using privileged information to help others bet on their games
- In one case, NBA player Terry Rozier is suspected to have feigned an injury during a game, information he is alleged to have passed on before the game started
- Victims lost about $7 million (£5.2 million) in the schemes. One person lost over $1 million, officials say
- Officials says the National Basketball Association is cooperating and that college basketball games were not part of this investigation
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today," NBA said in a statement.
"Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.
We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
