It’s no secret that Gilbert Arenas has a knack for inviting beef, but this time, he believes he’s been wrongly dragged into the case. You might already be aware of the recent NBA gambling scandal that’s been making rounds on social media, linked to the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones. But where does Gilbert Arenas fit into all of this? 

Gilbert Arenas went on a 7-minute Instagram rant to set the record straight, saying, “I’m not worried about my case. I know the only thing I did. If you have my case in 900 pages, one line: I think this is Gilbert Arenas’ house, that’s my case.” He also made it clear that while he had been linked to a past illegal poker incident at his Encino home, it had nothing to do with the current sports betting scandal that has led to multiple arrests.

The 43-year-old didn’t hold back in addressing the rumors. He said, “The fact that some of y’all defamed me. I don’t know if I’m gonna be the bigger person and just let it go, or I’m gonna sue. I’ve won six, seven defamation lawsuits. So you know I know that.”

Gilbert Arenas seemed genuinely confused about how his name got linked to the latest NBA gambling scandal. In a candid moment, he said, “I don’t know how that connects to someone hurting their foot and betting on bad games in 2023. I haven’t seen NBA players since we bounced that basketball. Not at lunch, dinner, nothing.”

Ironically, the whole “snitching” chatter actually started with Arenas himself. He playfully posted a picture on Instagram showing a brown bag labeled “Informant Lunch,” captioned, “Got that Informant Lunch special this morning.” He didn’t stop there. He even brought the bag onto the set of his show, joking about the situation. 

The clip went viral and reminded fans of a quote he made two months earlier when his name came up in a federal investigation tied to an illegal gambling ring. Back then, he had said, “Ain’t nothing wrong with snitching, man. It ain’t nothing wrong with just telling, man. Ain’t nothing wrong with telling, man.”

Whatever the full truth may be, Gilbert Arenas is making it clear that defaming him comes with consequences. In a video clip, he challenged anyone spreading false claims, writing in the caption: “Defamation Lawsuit against anyone who made it seem like I’m a part of this case will be SUED (If) I don’t score 20 points at the 2K rec TONIGHT when I go live #YT #GilsArenaBattlemode 🗣️ Im dead a*s serious! Your fate will be determined by my outcome in 2K 🏀😇🙏🏾”

So, you might want to keep an eye on tonight’s game and think twice before trolling him or making any comments that could set him off. So, what exactly is the full case involving Gilbert Arenas?

What’s Gilbert Arenas’ side of the illegal poker scandal?

Gilbert Arenas sat down with Vlad TV on Tuesday, and as usual, he didn’t hold back. The NBA legend opened up about the gambling charges swirling around him, making it clear he thinks the whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. “Can I ask you something, Vlad? You live in Hollywood. You’ve heard of poker games. (The) Israelis would they have someone like me in their group?” he asked, sounding genuinely baffled. 

The charges themselves? Serious stuff. Arenas, along with five others—including a suspected high-ranking member of an Israeli organized crime group — were indicted in July for running an illegal gambling operation. From September 2021 to July 2022, he allegedly rented out his Encino mansion to host high-stakes poker games. 

At his direction, Arthur Kats staged the mansion, recruited co-conspirators, and collected rent from the games. Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, and Cohen reportedly ran the illegal “Pot Limit Omaha” games, collected a “rake” from each pot, and invited players to compete.

Arenas even toyed with the idea of suing the federal authorities for defamation. “I’m the mark at a table. Hence why I don’t know him because I’ve never been to one of their games. I don’t play poker like that. Like it’s weird,” he explained, adding, “I’m wondering if there’s defamation because of how you’re making it seem. I don’t think that’s fair. You can’t use my name to put a case out there with these types of claims. At the end of this, I should be able to sue for defamation.”

But Arenas wouldn’t leave it all serious; he quickly laughed off the thought of taking on the government. “But it is the government. It is the government (and) they can do what the f— they want to do,” he said with a grin. True to his style, he balanced frustration with humor, making the interview as entertaining as it was revealing.

Arenas faces three federal charges: conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to investigators. But through it all, his Vlad TV segment made one thing clear: he’s not going quietly, and he’s not afraid to speak his truth, jokes and all.