NBA: Gilbert Arenas arrested for hosting illegal poker games

Former NBA basketball player Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday along with five other people for hosting illegal poker games, US prosecutors said.

Arenas, 43, a former Washington Wizards star, rented out a luxury residence he owned in Encino, a Los Angeles neighborhood, "to host illegal high-stakes poker games" between September 2021 and July 2022, according to the indictment unsealed in Los Angeles.

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Among the other people arrested was an Israeli, Yevgeni Gershman, considered a known member of criminal circles.

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Arenas, a three-time All-Star, played in the NBA until 2012 before spending a season in China with the Shanghai Sharks. He faces three counts, including organizing illegal gambling, for each of which he faces five years in prison.

At his arraignment in federal court in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon, he pleaded not guilty and was released on $50,000 bail. A trial date has been set for September 23.