Arenas has been arrested! He is facing charges for running an illegal gambling operation, with a maximum sentence of 5 years for each charge.

On July 31, Beijing time, it was reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California that former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested on Wednesday local time in connection with a federal indictment accusing him of operating an illegal gambling business in his mansion in Encino, California.

Arenas has been formally 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 is scheduled to make his initial court appearance and be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted, Arenas and the other defendants face a maximum of 5 years in federal prison for each charge.

Yevgeny Geshman—suspected to be a high-ranking member of an Israeli organized crime group—and several other accomplices have also been charged and arrested for their involvement in this illegal operation. It is alleged that the operation ran from September 2021 to July 2022.

According to the indictment, Arenas rented out his house in Encino, while one of his accomplices converted the mansion into a poker game venue, recruiting conspirators to host games and collecting rent from them on behalf of Arenas.

Geshman and the other defendants operated illegal poker games such as "Pot-Limit Omaha," taking a cut from each pot played.

The group employed chefs, valet attendants, and armed security to service the casino, and also hired young women to provide drinks, massages, and companionship to poker players in exchange for tips; the conspirators also took a share of these service workers' tips.

As of Wednesday, it remains unclear who the participants in these games were. The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment further.

This is not the first time Arenas has faced trouble over card games. In December 2009, Arenas and Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton were involved in an incident where they brought firearms into the locker room, which Arenas later stated stemmed from trash talk during a card game on a team flight.

The 43-year-old Arenas last played in the NBA in 2012, when he was with the Memphis Grizzlies. This three-time All-Star played for the Wizards, Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Orlando Magic over 11 seasons, averaging 20.7 points per game.

Arenas's son, Alijah, is expected to be a high draft pick in 2026. He suffered a serious car accident in April this year but fortunately escaped serious injury, though he is now expected to miss the upcoming season due to a torn meniscus.