Former NBA Star Gilbert Arenas Arrested On Federal Indictment For Hosting An Illegal Gambling Ring In His Home

Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and seven other players have been indicted on federal charges of running an illegal poker ring at Arenas's mansion in Los Angeles. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on Wednesday and was released on $50,000 bond.

The people involved were charged of operating illegal poker games hosted in the home between September 12, 2021 to July 20, 2022. Per court documents, Arenas rented out a residence in Encino, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles and invited players for high-stakes poker games.

While that itself isn't illegal, Arenas and the organizers collected a "rake" from the games. The house would get money from each hand, sometimes a fixed amount per hand or a percentage of the ultimate winnings. Arenas, never one to shy away from the spotlight, used poker felt with a picture of himself and an "ARENAS POKER CLUB" moniker on it.

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Arenas has been charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators. If convicted, Arenas faces up to 15 years in prison, a maximum of five years for each count.

Yevgeni Gershman, another person being charged, reportedly "would hire young women who, in exchange for tips, would serve drinks, provide massages, and offer companionship" to players at Arenas's rented home.

This isn't the first checkered moment for Arenas. He brought guns to a locker room dispute with then-Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton in 2009. Arenas was suspended for an entire season. He eventually returned to the NBA before spending a year with the Shanghai Sharks in China. Former teammate Nick Young also suggested Arenas ran 60 red lights in four months and pranked teammates in a variety of ways, including putting dog droppings in their shoes.

Over his 13-year NBA career, Arenas earned about $163 million, plus millions more in endorsements, including a signature Adidas shoe. He also claimed he took a pay cut when he joined the NBA, indicating that he was being paid under the table in college at Arizona. Additionally, he made $22.3 million from the Orlando Magic in 2014, which made him the third-highest player in the NBA at the time—despite not playing an NBA game since 2011.

It seems Arenas has experienced financial troubles since retiring. He claimed he couldn't support his children's tuitions of about $96,000 per year and sued his financial advisor, saying they acted with "absolute recklessness" and seeking damages of $40 million.

Could those financial challenges have played a role in launching this poker ring? We may never know, but it could lead to years in jail for Arenas.