Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas Arrested 'For Running Illegal Gambling Enterprise' Out of His California Mansion — And Could Face Time In Prison
Gilbert Arenas has been arrested.
July 30 2025, Published 4:14 p.m. ET
Former NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas is back making headlines... unfortunately, it's for all the wrong reasons, as he was arrested in California after police said he ran an illegal gambling business, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to federal prosecutors, the ex-athlete, along with five others, rented out his mansion to hold high-stakes card games from September 2021 to July 2022, and plenty of money was involved.
What Did He (Allegedly) Do?
The former NBA star was arrested on numerous charges.
RadarOnline.com can confirm Arenas, also known as "Agent Zero," was 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. He was expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, July 30, in downtown Los Angeles.
Yevgeni Gershman, one of the other five men arrested, is suspected of being an organized crime figure from Israel. Gershman, along with the others, also faces the same charges as Arenas.
Arenas is said to have hired a 51-year-old man named Arthur Kats to help him stage the place for games and even collect rent. However, it was apparently a fancy affair, as the former all-star also allegedly brought in women to "serve drinks, provide massages and offer companionship" to those in attendance.
According to the indictment, these women were charged a "tax," a percentage of their earnings from working the games.
Years Behind Bars Is Possible
Arenas was accused of illegal gambling.
A staff of chefs, valets, and security guards was also on hand for the card games.
Prosecutors noted each defendant is facing five years in prison "for each count." Investigators were able to obtain text messages between Arenas and Kats that show the two planning to host alleged illegal poker games at the mansion.
The duo is even said to have had poker tables that bore Arenas' name and image, and also allegedly discussed financial matters and payments over text messages.
Arenas' Past Troubles
Arenas faces up to five years behind bars on each charge.
This is not the first time the feds have had eyes on Arenas, as back in 2022, his home was raided, with US Department of Homeland Security investigators seizing money found in the master bedroom of the home.
Arenas, best known for his time with the Washington Wizards, attempted to have his money returned, falsely telling authorities he was not involved in the gambling taking place at the home.
The 43-year-old Arenas played 11 seasons in the NBA, reeling in three all-star appearances. Following his retirement, he found himself in the podcast world, hosting Gil's Arena and inviting former players to discuss the game of basketball.
However, Arenas has also ruffled plenty of feathers.
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His mansion was raided in 2022.
In 2023, the retired ballplayer accused the LGBTQ+ community of being "the most unfair group walking on the planet right now."
"They have a playbook that they are only playing by, that they can only see," he told VladTV. "Nobody else gets to see this playbook, but we're being judged by everything that's in this playbook, but we don't know it."
He then went off on pronouns, and raged: "There's no open dialogue about what is appropriate and what's not. We only find out after we f--- up, and that's unfair. That's f------ unfair, you can't do that."
Arenas added: "Just words, phrases like he, she, it, they. We don't f------ know. How do we know? You're making it up as you go, and it's not like there's this dictionary of updates."
