Pro Football Hall of Famer Antonio Gates hosted and played in a rigged poker game in Miami organized by a man now facing federal charges in a sweeping mob-linked gambling scandal, according to sports journalist Pablo Torre.
Torre reported Sunday that Gates participated in the allegedly fraudulent game arranged by Curtis Meeks, a Texas man indicted Thursday as part of “Operation Royal Flush.” The federal investigation resulted in the arrests of 31 defendants, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones.
“Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and former Chargers tight end Antonio Gates hosted — and played in — an allegedly rigged Miami poker game, sources with direct knowledge tell @pablofindsout, that was organized by Curtis Meeks. Meeks was indicted by the federal government Thursday,” Torre posted on social media.
Gates has not been charged with any crime or named in federal court filings. The 45-year-old former San Diego Chargers tight end currently serves as a Legends Ambassador for the franchise.
The federal indictment accuses Meeks of supplying cheating technology to participants in the poker scheme. According to court documents, defendants used rigged shuffling machines, electronic poker chip trays, and specially designed contact lenses or sunglasses to read cards. The technology allowed conspirators to predict which player held the best hand and relay that information to cheating teams at the table.
Federal prosecutors say the rigged poker games took place weekly in New York and throughout the United States and was overseen by members of the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese crime families. Victims lost at least $7 million since 2019, according to the indictment.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said during Thursday’s press conference that defendants enlisted former professional athletes as “face cards” to lure victims into high-stakes games.
“Using the allure of high-stakes winnings and the promise to play alongside well-known professional athletes, these defendants allegedly defrauded unwitting victims out of tens of millions of dollars and established a financial pipeline to La Cosa Nostra,” FBI Assistant Director James Raia stated.
Torre’s report came one day after The New York Post published an account from an anonymous victim who claimed he lost $1 million in a single night at a poker game featuring an unnamed ex-NFL player as the draw. The victim said the game was organized by Curtis Meeks.
“During the game, we were around a bunch of bad guys, and they were trying to suck every bit away from us. And they did. They did a good job, and I’m still shell-shocked to this day from that night,” the victim told the Post.
The victim called Meeks “the most despicable human I’ve ever been around in my entire life.”
“The level he will go to get other people’s money is just disgusting. I’ve since found out that what he’s done to us, he’s done to many other people. This was not a freak occurrence,” the victim said.
Gates spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the Chargers from 2003 to 2018. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2025. The eight-time Pro Bowler holds the NFL record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with 116.
The indictment describes how the poker scheme operated through different roles. Technology suppliers like Meeks provided the cheating devices. Game organizers arranged for victims to play in underground games. Cheating teams worked together using the technology to defraud players. Members of organized crime families backed the games in New York and collected portions of the proceeds.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was released Thursday after appearing in federal court. He faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The NBA immediately placed both Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on administrative leave following their arrests.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday the investigation remains ongoing.