00:00Gilbert Arenas just got hit with federal gambling charges tied to a secret poker ring in an LA
00:04mansion he states he just rented out. According to prosecutors, from 2021 to 2022, Arenas rented
00:12out his $3 million Encino mansion not to live in but to host high stakes and buy only poker games.
00:18The feds say this wasn't casual card night, it was a full-scale gambling business and it operated
00:23like a casino without the license. But the NBA All-Star did not run this alone. According to
00:28the U.S. Attorney's Office, four other men helped manage the high-stakes Pot Limit Omaha poker games
00:33where they collected a house cut from every pot, known as a rake, which is illegal in the state of
00:38California. The men also invited other players to compete and one of them, Yevgeny Grishman,
00:43is described as a suspected organized crime figure from Israel who allegedly hired young women for
00:48the poker games to serve drinks, give massages, and offer companionship, then took a percentage
00:53of their earnings from working the games. The indictment states the fully-staffed underground
00:57business also included security, chefs, and valets. Now reports state that Arenas pled not
01:03guilty to his charges and is currently out on a $50,000 bond. The former Wizards player even shared
01:08a video on X with a caption claiming he just rented the house out. The indictment also states the former
01:13NBA player falsely told investigators he knew nothing about gambling on the property and reportedly filed
01:19a petition to get his seized cash returned after the feds raided the mansion back in July of 2022,
01:24according to BBC. But prosecutors say the evidence ties Arenas directly to the operation,
01:29including text messages exchanged with co-defendants, where investigators found a photo
01:33of a custom poker table branded with, quote, Arenas poker club next to his likeness. Share your thoughts
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