VIOLATION

NBA Star Gilbert Arenas Arrested on Charges of Running Illegal Poker Games

The former Washington Wizards shooting guard is at the center of a federal investigation.

Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday for his alleged role in a string of illegal, high-stakes poker games. Authorities claim Arenas, 43, and five other associates ran the games out of a Los Angeles house he rented in 2021 and 2022. While some forms of gambling are legal in California, investigators say the men broke the law by collecting a “rake” fee from the games’ prize pots. The retired athlete was previously arrested in 2010 after he drew a gun on then-teammate Javaris Crittenton in the Wizards’ locker room during a gambling-related argument. He was briefly suspended from the team and later pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm without a license, for which he served two years’ probation. After his July 30 arrest, Arenas now faces three charges: conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators. He and his associates face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in a federal prison per count if convicted.