Gilbert Arenas Indicted.........

[TheBlackCzar]

For running an illegal gambling ring per the Athletic.

[closg00]

Moron.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/30/sport/gilbert-arenas-arrest-spt

[DukeLecker]

Feels like the gun-gate documentary was released a couple of months too early. Wonder what kwame gonna say about this?!

[Tyrone Messby]

Such an idiot. That documentary did him no favors either. Seems like a real piece of work. Thought his son growing up had maybe helped him change his ways. Nope.

[GoneShammGone]

Gil gonna Gil. It seems that he can't help himself. I really worry about Alijah.

[AFM]

What’s the potential jail time for something like this? (On my phone)

[AFM]

Apparently it’s 5 years per charge

[nate33]

When I first read the headline, I was thinking that this is some BS trying to arrest a guy for having some friendly high-stakes poker games in the privacy of his own home. But then when I read the article and saw that there were some mobbed up guys from Israel involved, I was like, yeah, there might actually be some serious criminal activity going on. The Feds can't ignore that.

[trast66]

Gil gonna Gil. It seems that he can't help himself. I really worry about Alijah.

Yeah, fair or not, would think might impact draft grade with some less than job secure GMs. Gil was a 2nd rounder due to his clownishness in the draft process. Hopefully Alijah, with Klutch team, will be strong in the process.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Gil might have to testify against his cohorts in order to get a plea deal.

[closg00]

I don’t know all of the details, but I have changed my mind from my initial reaction and am now taking a Libertarian view of this, no one was harmed by Gilbert having poker games with his rich friends out of his house, people do this all the time across the country, he let this get out-of-control.

[tontoz]

I used to play in one of those illegal games in College Park. Basically if the house takes a rake it is illegal.

This game ran pretty much 24/7 for a few years. My cousin was there when they got robbed at gunpoint. He had the presence of mind to throw his wallet into the trash so he didn't lose much.

[queridiculo]

Time for Arenas to put on that Maga hat.

[closg00]

Private, high stakes poker games are as American as apple pie, they will forever be part of our culture.

[nate33]

Private, high stakes poker games are as American as apple pie, they will forever be part of our culture.

If the house takes a cut, then it's something a bit more than a private poker game among friends. It's basically a gambling establishment which involves a ton of taxation and regulation. I'm sure the casino owners in the area who pay a heavy tax load would disagree with characterizing this as a private poker game.

I agree that there is a more basic libertarian argument that gambling in general is a voluntary activity among consenting adults involving no coercion and should be permitted. The argument also applies to prostitution and drug use. But most societies reject that argument because ultimately, a lot of harm is coming to the prostitutes, drug users and gambling addicts, even if it was self-inflicted. Perhaps the government does have some duty to protect people from their worst impulses.

[closg00]

Private, high stakes poker games are as American as apple pie, they will forever be part of our culture.

If the house takes a cut, then it's something a bit more than a private poker game among friends. It's basically a gambling establishment which involves a ton of taxation and regulation. I'm sure the casino owners in the area who pay a heavy tax load would disagree with characterizing this as a private poker game.

I agree that there is a more basic libertarian argument that gambling in general is a voluntary activity among consenting adults involving no coercion and should be permitted. The argument also applies to prostitution and drug use. But most societies reject that argument because ultimately, a lot of harm is coming to the prostitutes, drug users and gambling addicts, even if it was self-inflicted. Perhaps the government does have some duty to protect people from their worst impulses.

He got carried away with his “enterprise”, he should have kept it on the low like most people.

[AFM]

I am totally anti gambling personally but I don’t really see the problem here. Especially when I get an ad for fanduel and draft kings every 15 seconds. Those companies are way more predatory, look into their practices about how they flag which users are gambling addicts and rope them back in with free house money when they notice they’ve made efforts to quit their addiction.

[nate33]

I am totally anti gambling personally but I don’t really see the problem here. Especially when I get an ad for fanduel and draft kings every 15 seconds. Those companies are way more predatory, look into their practices about how they flag which users are gambling addicts and rope them back in with free house money when they notice they’ve made efforts to quit their addiction.

Agree that this is mostly about protecting the casino monopolies and the tax revenues they generate. You can't have gambling without the government taking its cut!

But it sounds like there was probably some prostitution going on as well, and that's a pretty big deal.

[TheBlackCzar]

He states he just rented the house, wasn't more to it.... We shall see...

[Zonkerbl]

I think heroin use should be decriminalized. You want people who are addicted to heroin to feel they can come in and get treatment without risk of being thrown in jail or losing their kids. HOWEVER. Even if it were legal to *produce* heroin, I DON'T think you should be able to advertise heroin on tv. I think the same applies to gambling. The whole industry makes most of its money from gambling addicts, which is not cool. I think it's fair to regulate the industry to make sure you aren't making money by intentionally ruining people's lives.

I think Gilbert is a great example of someone who has allowed his addiction to gambling to ruin his life. Let him be a lesson to everyone else. I don't know what I feel about the particular laws at issue here. But I know gambling is STUPID and people who throw their money away on gambling are IDIOTS. I say this as an economist who knows that on average you will lose. Going to Vegas for a weekend to blow a few grand and have fun is one thing. You're paying for the entertainment value, fine. Blowing through thousands of bucks on your phone to bet on ping pong in Poland is... well, if you're doing that you're an addict and you need to stop.