Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones became the first individual in an ongoing gambling conspiracy case to plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud involving insider sports betting and rigged poker game schemes.
Jones Admits Guilt
After pleading guilty in the sports betting case, Jones read a prepared statement to the court, admitting that he had conspired with others to defraud betting companies by using insider information obtained through his relationships as a former player. He said that he wished to offer a sincere apology to the court, his family, his peers, and the National Basketball Association.
A native of Galveston, Texas, Jones earned more than $20 million over an 11-year career from 1999 to 2009, playing for 10 different teams. He was teammates with LeBron James in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and later served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022–2023 season.
Jones’ admission does not come as a surprise, as he announced a couple of weeks ago that he would be changing his plea from “innocent” to “guilty.” He admitted that his actions breached both the NBA’s code of conduct and the terms of service of sports betting platforms. Jones also explained that the objective of the conspiracy, which operated from December 2022 to March 2024, was to profit from sportsbooks by leveraging insider knowledge. According to prosecutors, this information included nonpublic details about injuries to NBA stars.
What Was Jones’ Role in the Two Schemes?
At his second hearing, Jones acknowledged that he was paid to serve as a “face card” at poker games in Miami and the Hamptons, using his NBA celebrity status to attract high-stakes bettors to the table. According to his statement, Jones said that, based on conversations with his co-conspirators before and after the games, he knew these games were rigged and that players were being cheated.
According to the indictment, in one case, Jones received $2,500 for participating in a game in the Hamptons, where he was instructed to cheat by closely observing others involved in the scheme. Prosecutors said he was told to fold his hand whenever he was uncertain.
Prosecutors said they are pursuing additional charges against a co-defendant in the sports betting case, former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who has pleaded not guilty. Jones was arrested last October alongside Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Fame star Chauncey Billups, and others, including a bettor accused of profiting from injury-related information. Jones was one of three individuals charged in both the poker and sports betting schemes.
Currently, Jones remains free on bail and is not scheduled to be sentenced until January 6, 2027. He is likely to face a longer prison term in the rigged poker case than in the sports betting case. In the betting case, he is expected to receive a sentence of 21 to 27 months.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones became the first individual in an ongoing gambling conspiracy case to plead guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud involving insider sports betting and rigged poker game schemes. Jones Admits Guilt After pleading guilty in the sports betting case, Jones read a prepared statement to