NBA stars and mafia among more than 30 arrested in illegal gambling crackdown, FBI says

NBA 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, reports BBC.

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