Before he landed the Blazers head job (2021-22), Billups spent one season as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers (2020-21). And before that, he spent 17 NBA seasons between 1997 and 2014 as a Hall of Fame (2024 class) point guard.

Billups was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, out of the University of Colorado. He played 17 seasons in the league for seven different teams, one of which was the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he spent two seasons from 2000-2002.

But while Chauncey Billups’ time spent in the Twin Cities as a player was short-lived, it wasn’t nearly as brief as his time as head coach of the 2025-26 Portland Trail Blazers, which as of now, feels like it will end after just one game

Chauncey Billups arrested for illegal poker operation w/Mafia ties

At some point between the end of last night’s season opener between the Wolves and Blazers, and 7:28 a.m. CDT Thursday morning, Billups was arrested by the FBI for his alleged involvement in an illegal gambling operation that reportedly has Mafia ties (Shams – ESPN).

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also arrested, in a separate but related illegal gambling bust that included a total of 30 people, FBI Director Kash Patel announced this morning, in conjunction with the Billups arrest.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested by the FBI for alleged illegal gambling, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2025

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested Thursday as part of a pair of investigations related to illegal gambling, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Rozier was arrested Thursday morning at a hotel in Orlando, Florida. The Heat lost their season opener to the Magic on Wednesday, when Rozier did not play due to a coach’s decision.

Billups’ arrest in Oregon was made as part of a separate but related illegal gambling case linked to an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, according to an ABC News report. Billups is expected to make an initial court appearance later Thursday.

Shams Charania – ESPN

Related: MN Timberwolves Have a New Starting Point Guard

This is a huge deal, and the NBA is clearly treating it as such. Unlike Rozier, it does not appear Billups was arrested for fixing or cheating NBA games he was physically involved in. The charges specifically mention rigging and cheating in poker games. So, we will have to wait for more information before knowing exactly what happened.

Chauncey Billups has a brutal 117-212 (.356) record as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Only half-joking, you have to wonder if he and the Mafia are holding a gambling debt over the Blazers’ owner, because that’s not a record conducive to a five-year tenure as an NBA team’s head coach.

FBI Director Kash Patel has announced the takedown of a massive illegal gambling ring involving coordination between NBA players, coaches, and several mafia crime families.

The operation stretched across 11 states and spanned several years, resulting in more than 30 arrests so… pic.twitter.com/9haLOUkX77

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) October 23, 2025

Chauncey Billups the NBA (Minnesota Timberwolves) Player

As a player, Billups averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, also earning 2x All-NBA Defense. Those numbers, along with 5 All-Star appearances, 3 All-NBA Teams, an NBA Finals win and NBA Finals MVP earned Billups a Hall of Fame induction last year… though that may not stick anymore either.

In the two seasons Chauncey Billups played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he averaged 10.9 points, 4.5 assists and 2.4 rebounds, over 159 games.

February 27, 2002: Kevin Garnett had 33 PTS/15 REB and Chauncey Billups had 30 PTS/11 AST in the Timberwolves’ 112-101 win over the Lakers.

Billups made seven of his eight 3-point shots. Shaquille O’Neal had 27 PTS and Kobe Bryant added 20 PTS for Los Angeles.

📺CNN World Sport pic.twitter.com/oyiNryXOYO

— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) February 27, 2024

He and Kevin Garnett played in seven playoff games together, getting bounced in the first round of the 2001 and 2002 playoffs, before he left for Detroit as a free agent, where he won his only NBA title two years later (2003-04).

In 2024-25, they return most of that same squad. The only regular rotation piece that moved on this offseason was Kyle Anderson. They replaced the 30-year-old defensive team leader with another wily veteran, 37-year-old Joe Ingles, who won’t provide the same defense, but should bring much better outside shooting to the offensive equation.

They also traded for the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which they used to take 19-year-old Rob Dillingham (Kentucky). With the No. 27 pick, they drafted 24-year-old Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois), who has looked really good in Summer League.

Minnesota Timberwolves projected win total set

So, what has this offseason done for the Wolves’ chances at winning regular season basketball games in 2024-25? Well, sportsbooks aren’t necessarily sure that Minnesota is better than they were last year, but saying they are “worse” could be an overstatement.

Related: What in the GTA is Tattooed on Terrence Shannon Jr’s Forearm?

DraftKings has the Minnesota Timberwolves over/under win total set at 52.5, tying them for 3rd most in the NBA, but 3.5 less wins than what they reached in 2023-24. FanDuel also has them at 52.5, which puts them in a 3-way tie for 4th most.

What can we take away from these early regular season win total odds? That Vegas expects a lot of the same from this Minnesota Timberwolves team. It is difficult to reach 56 wins, no matter how good your team is.

Yes, sportsbooks expect Anthony Edwards to take another step in his route to superstardom. No, they do not believe Kyle Anderson is worth 3+ wins. When setting over/under win totals, Vegas must account for possible injuries, along with the many ups and downs of an NBA regular season.

Related: This Just In: Anthony Edwards Dominates in Water Too

That randomness makes it more likely that Minnesota’s win total takes a step back, even if the team ends up getting better. Remember, this is just regular season win totals, and has nothing to do with their chances in the postseason.

So what are the chances that sports betting will be regulated and allowed in the state of Minnesota any time soon? Well, the good news for those who are looking into gambling in Minnesota is that there are potentially plans to change the online casino and sportsbook gambling laws.

Current gambling laws in Minnesota

The Minnesota gambling laws are currently a little on the confusing side, but you definitely cannot go to a casino or log in to an online casino, nor can you bet on your favorite Minnesota sports teams like the Twins in baseball.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is in charge of handling this and runs an Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement department that has some very stringent rules.

There are some gambling activities in Minnesota that are permitted, but these are very few and far between. From the government site: “Allowable gambling activities in Minnesota are licensed charitable gambling, including pull-tabs, paddlewheels, tipboards, bingo and raffles. The Minnesota Lottery, pari-mutuel betting on horse races, and tribal gaming are also permitted.”

If you have any questions about this then you can contact the Gambling Control Board. They are authorized to provide a license to anyone who wishes to run one of these gambling activities.

As you can see, there are a few exceptions, but in terms of sportsbook gambling, it is strictly prohibited and there are no legal ways to bet on the sports you know and love anywhere in Minnesota.

The future of Minnesota sports betting

There are many people who are pushing for online gambling and sportsbook betting to be allowed in Minnesota. Over the last few years, there have been bills to legalize that have not gone through to become law.

Rep. Zack Stephenson’s office has confirmed in 2023 that they will look to issue a similar bill this year. The Republican-controlled senate did not pass the bill last year but he could see more support in 2023.

The senator has been quoted as saying: “I have built up relationships with the stakeholders and I continue to support what consumers want, which is the option to play at brick-and-mortar and online venues, and through tribal nations and tracks, with commonsense protections for everyone involved.”

In 2022, the bill from Stephenson did get a lot of tribal support as it proposed that the tribes in the area would have some control of the industry. Many Indian gaming tribes have also invested in the industry in the area and they may need that control in order to support the bill. In 2023, support is definitely growing for a regulated market for sportsbook gambling.

When might we see legal gambling in Minnesota?

It’s important that nobody makes any promises when it comes to when gambling laws might be changed in Minnesota. It could be that we see some form of legal gambling as early as 2023, with more relaxed laws and better legislation to protect people. It’s possible that Minnesota will pass the bill and move towards being a state where sports gambling is allowed, and even other methods of betting, such as casinos.

Hoping for resolution in 2023 may be a little ambitious, though, and it could be that people who want to gamble on sports in the state will need to wait a little longer, with change possible in 2024.

What benefits might there be to legal sports betting?

One of the reasons why there is such a push in a lot of states to make gambling legal and regulate it properly is the fact that it can benefit the local area.

If Minnesota does follow some of the other states in making gambling legal in more scenarios, then it is very possible that there will be benefits in the area, including:

• A boost to the economy. Gambling can bring more tax income and other benefits for the economy.
• More jobs. Both online casinos and in-person casinos need people working for the companies, which could bring jobs to the region.
• Tourism. The legalization of gambling may lead to more people crossing the state borders and coming to spend time in Minnesota.

It is very possible that Minnesota will allow sports betting at some point in the near future. It is surely a matter of time.

While sports fans in around 30 states are already experiencing the thrills and enjoyment that sports betting brings, Minnesota has been left waiting for a slice of the action. Frustratingly, the state’s current ban on sports betting does not really make any sense, with gambling being commonplace within the community.

Numerous attempts have been made over the years to get sports betting legalised within the state and there is no legal reason a sports betting bill could not be pushed through in the end. Unfortunately, numerous obstacles have proven hard to overcome in the final push for legalisation, with local tribes opposing certain aspects of the house bill. With it now looking like it will be 2023 at least before betting in the state will get the green light, let us look at why Minnesota needs sports betting sooner rather than later…

Most Minnesotans back sports betting being legalised

Numerous opinion polls have been conducted in Minnesota with one question in mind, should sport betting be legalised? The results of these polls have been very conclusive, with staunch support for the introduction of sports betting being evident in the results.

Take a survey conducted by KSTP and SurveyUSA for example, here 64% of respondents came out in favour of the move to legalise sports betting, while 19% were undecided and only 17% saying they were opposed to the suggestion. The evidence is clear that Minnesotans want to wager on their favourite sports teams, with a healthy appetite for sports betting within the community.

It will raise important tax revenues for the state government

Another aspect to bear in mind is the significant tax revenues that sports betting would generate for the state once all details are finalised. There is talk of a new compact which would be signed with the native tribes to allow the state to be able to collect taxes from sports betting transactions, which could prove lucrative for the state.

Local politician and member of the Minnesota Senate Karla Bingham has indicated that wagering on sports betting could be as high as “$2 billion over the course of a year” within the state, which in return would deliver “anywhere from $30 million to close to a $100 million” to the state government depending on how the tax structure was organised. Any additional tax revenues would be highly welcomed at a time when worries about the state of the economy, rising inflation and the recovery from the covid 19 pandemic persists.

It makes a lot of sense

One Important thing to bear in mind is that gambling is no stranger to Minnesota, it is not as if this is an argument on gambling prohibition. Minnesotans are surrounded by busy casinos, eye-catching pull tabs and the ringing of slot machines so not having sports betting available for punters in a city renowned for its sporting prowess just seems odd. What is even worse is that this opens the door up to online sports betting operators with questionable legalities, or for those operating out of far-flung places such as Curaçao where legal structures can be exploited.

Americans have always loved to have a wager, you only have to look at the popularity of Vegas. Those looking to place a bet had been left with little choice but to wager offshore prior to 2018 when PASPA was overturned. Since then, sites such as gamble-usa.com have entered the market to provide reviews and guides to players in regulated states and to help them make decisions on the best legalized betting options available to them.

Minnesotans who want to sports bet will do, regardless of state law. Whether this means traveling to a state such as Wisconsin where sports betting is legal, using one of the shady online operators or even worse falling victims to online frauds purporting to be sports betting. When you look at it this way, it is a no brainer to legalise sports betting, as tax revenues will stay within the state and Minnesotans will be protected from shady practices in the online world.

Conclusion:

As we can see from the points above, it is a no brainer that this law should be passed sooner rather than later, for the benefit of both the state and Minnesotans alike. For far too long locals have gone without the betting experience which enhances the enjoyment of supporting your team and the sporting experience in general.

The thrill of betting is a major pull and Minnesotans appetite for it shows no signs of waning, therefore it is only right that the tribes, politicians, and law makers come together and push this change through so the people of Minnesota can get what they want.

Do you like to bet underdogs? Then this post isn’t for you. The Minnesota Twins are -149 favorites in tomorrow’s Wild Card game against the Houston Astros and some dude just laid down $500,000 (to win $835,570) on a Twins victory, over at DraftKings.com.

If you thought you were nervous for tomorrow afternoon, just imagine this guy.

The @DKSportsbook reports taking a $500,000 bet on the Twins to beat the Astros in Tuesday’s game at -149.

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) September 28, 2020

Sure, everyone and their mom is picking the Twins to win this series, you’re a Minnesota sports novice if you’re making a bet like this. I have one rule, when gambling on sports.

Don’t Bet On Games That Involve Minnesota

As a Minnesota sports fan, this is something you learn early and often. Minnesota teams are the most random state of professional/major college sports, in the country. We win when we shouldn’t and we (almost always) lose when we should win. There isn’t a gambler on this planet who likes “random” and that’s what Minnesota sports are.

But this guy did. Not only did he lay down $500K, but he did it knowing he’d only win a fraction of that, with a victory. It’s one thing to take the Twins as a cute little underdog, for a little extra cash on a W… but as a favorite? That’s tough.

It’s not surprising though. Everyone likes to bet underdogs until they have to put half-a-million dollars on the line. When that kind of money is up for grabs, taking a favorite (I can only imagine) would make a guy breathe a little easier.

I dream of the day where I need to bet $500K just to feel.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

So it turns out, there are still Minnesota Vikings believers walking among us. What are the odds (pun intended)? First, Tony Dungy picked the Vikings as the most likely 0-2 team, to pull their season together. Now, with the Vikings ~(+2.5|+125) home underdogs this weekend vs the Tennessee Titans, lost gambling souls around the country are jumping all over the purple and gold, according to oddschecker.com.

? Who are the 3 most backed #NFL teams this weekend

1️⃣ Vikings – 81%
2️⃣ Colts – 77%
3️⃣ Patriots – 73%

Who is going in your parlay?

— OddsChecker (@OddsCheckerUS) September 24, 2020

Minnesota Vikings may have started the season with back-to-back losses, but sports bettors are wagering that their Week 3 matchup against Tennessee Titans is when they will turn things around.

Across all 16 games this week, no matchup is more lop-sided in terms of the betting breakdown; OddsChecker data shows that 81% of bets placed on the moneyline market have gone in favor of the Vikings, compared to just 19% for the Titans.

This is despite the fact that the Vikings are actually underdogs, with their odds of +120 indicative of a 45.5% chance of winning.

Oddschecker.com – Pete Watt

I was able to get updated numbers from Pete Watt, who wrote the Vikings/Titans blog for Oddschecker. As of this morning, the scales were still heavily tipped in Minnesota’s favor. The moneyline wager % is now 79/21 in favor of the Vikings, compared to 81/19 earlier this week (when the excerpt above was written). In other words, the movement has been minimal.

Am I watching the same team as everyone else?

This shocked me because the Minnesota Vikings have been absolutely terrible in the first two weeks of the 2020 season. Not only that, but they are playing completely undermanned on defense in week 3. This injury report doesn’t list Anthony Barr, who was placed on the IR at the beginning of this week.

Final @Titans vs @Vikings Injury Report. pic.twitter.com/aAA4EjiJex

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 25, 2020

The Vikings’ defense has been beaten and worn down for two straight weeks. Now, Derrick Henry, who won a rushing title last season by wearing defenses down, is coming to town.

The offense is rather healthy, but hasn’t shown any ability to help their ailing defense, even the slightest. Am I watching a different team than what others around the country are watching?

Trap Game?

This does fit the “trap game” mold but I don’t know if a trap game warrants 80% of moneyline wagers… I’ve seen some Vikings fans call this game out as “the classic upset win that gets everyone back on board”. I can’t disagree with that, either.

I understand those sentiments… but then I go back to the game film from the first two weeks and I’m slapped in the face by reality once again. The Vikings are terrible right now. Any hope that they will change, is just that… “hope”. There’s no factual or statistical evidence behind anything.

But… I will let Oddschecker’s, Pete Watt, speak for those in the betting world, who are clearly less cynical that I am on my hometown team.

“The Vikings have lost to two good teams as opposed to folding against weak opposition, so it’s understandable that bettors have retained their faith in Minnesota.”

“However, they do need to get a win under their belt and fast, as their odds of winning the Super Bowl have already slipped to +10000, demonstrative of just a 1% implied chance.”

Pete Watt – Oddschecker

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Baseball fans finally heard the news yesterday, that they’ve been desperately waiting for. The MLB and MLBPA finally came to an agreement, meaning there will be a 2020 MLB season. Then… World Series odds were released… and Minnesota Twins’ fans may want to pay attention.

At +1500, Baldelli & Co are tied for 4th-best odds (w/Atlanta Braves) MLB-wide, to win it all for the first time since 1991.

Best Odds to Win World Series – According to Caesars
Dodgers +350
Yankees +350
Astros +1100
Braves +1500
Twins +1500
Rays +1800
Nationals +1800
Cubs +2000

Tigers +50000
Orioles +75000

— trey wingo (@wingoz) June 24, 2020

Life is better with $$$ on the line…

It doesn’t matter who believes in the Twins and whose still blind to reality. If you are a fan that itches for the spine-tingling adrenaline rush of putting your livelihood on the line… then you couldn’t ask for a better situation involving your favorite team.

As much as you’d like to see more belief from the sportsbooks, you don’t want odds that make you less money. In their current slot (T-4th), you can still feel confident in your bet, while cashing in big compared to investment.

The Twins have everything a team could ask for, when hoping to make a deep playoff run. We all know about the potent offense, but the pitching is very underrated, too. With a top three of Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Kenta Maeda, this veteran led rotation could (and should) surprise a lot of people outside of the AL Central, in 2020.

Odds before the pandemic hit

It wouldn’t be a complete shocker, though. The Minnesota Twins had top-5 odds, even before the shortened season became an obvious reality.

Updated World Series odds (BetOnline):

LAD +375
NYY +450
HOU +1200
ATL/MIN +2000
OAK +2200
NYM/STL +2500
TB +2800
CWS/CIN/LAA/WAS +3000
CHC/CLE +3300
PHI +4000
BOS/MIL/SD +5000
ARI +6600
TEX +10000
COL/SF/TOR +15000
DET/KC/PIT/SEA +30000
BAL/MIA +50000

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) June 11, 2020

As long as the Twins can play to their full potential during the regular season, especially against AL Central opponents (40 out of 60 games). I am very confident that we will be watching Twins baseball in October. Maybe we’ll even avoid the Yankees in round 1…?

While some people will say that this year’s World Series does not qualify as “legitimate”, since the season is shortened to 60 games. I totally agree with that statement unless, of course, the Twins win the World Series. Then, it should be dubbed 100% legit.

Can you tell me if the Twins win it all first? https://t.co/q2wvLTxsEJ

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) June 24, 2020

It is time for baseball fans to buckle up because the MLB is here for a good time not a long time.

Cameron Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. The highly anticipated day has finally arrived:

BREAKING: Supreme Court strikes down federal anti sports gambling law, gives states go-ahead to allow betting on sports.

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 14, 2018

On Monday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court officially deemed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional. Meaning, while previously only legal in Nevada, sports betting is now allowed across the rest of the country.

The movement challenging the federal ban on gambling, spearheaded by New Jersey, argued that PASPA directly violated the Constitution’s tenth amendment (State’s rights). Apparently, the majority of the Supreme Court Justices felt the same way.

via GIPHY

As a result, it’s now up to the individual states to determine how they wish to handle sports betting. That process will be very similar to the “way they choose whether to offer lotteries and other forms of gambling.”

Monday’s announcement comes a little over a month after the Minnesota Legislature’s “behind-the-scenes effort” to fully permit sports betting became known:

Get your wallets out…. or not?

Minnesota Legislature is about to take on #sportsbetting.

?: @TheJohnnyMNhttps://t.co/zS87loJmi4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) April 7, 2018

At that time, State Representative Pat Garofalo shed some light on the motivation behind that anticipatory move:

At this time, Garofalo is aggressively making the rounds to push forward MN’s version of a Sports Gambling Bill. On Monday, one of the very excited State Representative’s stops included some time with KFAN’s Paul Allen on Monday.

While chatting with PA, Garofalo explained that “the conservative estimate is that in the first year in sports gambling in Minnesota, over $2 billion in wagers would take place.”

For those of you anxious to start (legally) wetting your proverbial beaks, you might need to pump your proverbial breaks. The current legislative session ends on May 21st.

Per Garofalo, passing his drafted bill by that deadline is “not realistic.” He expressed a goal of having an agreement “in place before the NFL season starts this fall.

Johnny Minnesota (@TheJohnnyMN)

MinnesotaSportsFan.com

While it couldn’t stop Nevada, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 halted full-scale sports betting for the rest of America. However, within the year, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to revisit the constitutionality of that gambling prohibition.

Reversal of the 26-year-old Act is gaining steam and, in anticipation, the Minnesota Legislature is making moves:

Move to legalize sports betting takes shape at Minnesota Legislature. https://t.co/YD6U9z5P6J pic.twitter.com/9FYAG0Ug61

— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) April 4, 2018

Per the StarTribune, “a behind-the-scenes effort is underway at the Minnesota Legislature to legalize sports betting.” Pat Garofalo (Farmington) is one of the State Representatives who vocally supports the not-yet proposed legislation

Please Note: Garofalo also said he “won’t submit a sports gambling bill the tribal casinos are opposed to.”

Despite fully agreeing with Mr. Garofalo on passing a sports gambling bill, I don’t see eye-to-eye with him on the logic that if Minnesota does nothing “the offshore sports books will flood social media and scoop up bettors.” His mentioned influx of overseas gambling websites has already occurred.

Let’s not sugar coat things. The days of requiring Las Vegas or a back-door bookie to place a wager are gone. Sure, it might be against the law but; if you want to get the adrenaline flowing by dabbling in some offshore sports gambling, well, it’s easy like Sunday Morning.

How to spot a degenerate gambler every March: @5thYear pic.twitter.com/QZiUY4cr7d

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 24, 2018

I’m going to go out on a (really strong and safe) limb and say he illegally gambled on that basketball game. On that note, despite the criminal’s isolation from the party, he’s far from alone in the presumed activity:

The NFL, NCAA, and other leagues continue to argue that keeping the federal gambling ban in tact “is necessary to protect the integrity of their games.” From a fundamental point of view, that makes sense. However, from an “at least $150 billion year” point of view, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act isn’t protecting shit much.

Another organization against reversing the 1992 law is the Citizens Against Gambling Expansion (Aka: CAGE). Jake Grassel, a spokesman for the group, said “internet expansion will mean we have a gambling facility in every home, library and Starbucks in the state.”

To me, that statement makes Jake appear naive on the accessibility of offshore sports betting sites. Let’s treat the first four words like a typo and try again:

“Internet expansion will mean We have a gambling facility in every home, library and Starbucks in the state.”

CAGE’s fight to reduce addiction and prevent underage gambling is a morally strong battle. Unfortunately for Grassel and crew, sports betting is already available “in every home, library and Starbucks in the state.” anywhere with internet access. In addition to being readily available and easy to use, websites will even throw-in a little something extra for joining:

Link: Bovada.lv

As for where a company like Bovada’s proceeds’ end up? Hell if I know. Wherever that may be, doesn’t it make more sense to see those winnings and deposit fees coming right back to the Land of 10K Lakes? Wouldn’t the resulting increase in jobs be an additional positive?

I know we are Minnesota Nice, but stopping all this generosity to offshore websites seems like a no-brainer.

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com