Boosie Badazz has never been afraid to speak his mind, and he’s now calling “bullshit” on Gilbert Arenas’ recent federal indictment.
The Baton Rouge rapper spoke out in defense of Arenas on Wednesday (July 30), just hours after the former NBA player was arrested for allegedly running an illegal gambling ring out of his Los Angeles-area mansion.
Boosie argued that countless prominent figures have hosted high-stakes poker games at their homes, and questioned if Arenas was being singled out because of his race.
“He set up a poker game at his spot and won off the hands played! WTF,” Boosie wrote on X. “That’s the same as getting a cut off a dice game that’s at your home and to millionaires, that’s a cleaning fee!! You know how many successful athletes, rappers, coaches, businessmen, and [business]women call their friends over to fucking gamble? These are ex-professionals who enjoy gambling as a hobby!!”
According to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday, Arenas and five other co-defendants were 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.
The defendants — including suspected Israeli organized crime member Yevgeni “Giora” Gershman — are accused of staging poker games and other illegal gambling activities at Arenas’ Encino home from September 2021 to July 2022.
Investigators said Arenas rented out his mansion to host illegal poker games and directed his co-defendants to collect a “rake” – “a fee the house charged from each pot either as a percentage or a fixed amount per hand.” Among the prosecutors’ evidence was a series of text exchanges between Arenas and and co-defendants. One of the purported messages featured a photo of a poker table bearing Arenas’ name.
“This has been going on since the early 1900s,” Boosie continued. “This is another tactic to take ‘us’ down. I’m not racist, but they’re not gonna lock up a white athlete/entertainer for playing poker at his damn house with his millionaire friends. His name was on the poker table GTFOH, those be house decorations. Every poker table I’ve seen at a house had their logo or name on it… Another tactic to take the Black man down. The truth hurts.”
Arenas pleaded not guilty to the charges in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday. The former NBA All-Star responded to the case shortly after he was released on $50,000 bond. He posted a video of himself dancing down a flight of stairs while saying, “They can’t hold me.”
“Im Back on the Streets,” he captioned the clip. “This aint got shyt to do with me‘ just rented the house’ Wasnt apart.”
Arenas’ trial is expected to begin September 23, 2025.
