Los Angeles Chargers legend yanked into rigged poker games allegations

Los Angeles Chargers great Antonio Gates entered the onslaught of accusations of rigged poker games in the sporting world over the weekend.

Sunday, Pablo Torre reported that Gates hosted and played in rigged poker games of the same variety that caused last week’s indictment of former NBA player and current NBA coach Chauncey Billups.

According to Torre, Curtis Meeks, indicted last week by the federal government, organized the game Gates allegedly had a role in at the time. Meeks was front and center in the federal indictment that named more than 30 defendants.

Said indictment accuses Billups of being the face of those poker games, luring in unsuspecting players before ripping them off in fixed games.

🚨➕ 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.
— Pablo Torre 👀 (@PabloTorre) October 26, 2025

Early this week, Gates’ business manager Denise White issued a statement.

“Antonio Gates has not been involved nor has he been accused of any wrongdoing, assertions to the contrary are false and without merit,” White said. “There will be no further comments on this matter.”

As of this writing, Gates has not been accused of any wrongdoing or named in federal filings, nor has Torre rescinded the reporting.

Gates retired in 2018, was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year and is a Legends Ambassador for the Chargers.

From the business manager of Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, denying allegations he played in and hosted an allegedly rigged poker game. https://t.co/0nXJlZWsxX
— Eric Williams (@edubnfl22) October 27, 2025

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