Latest news with #Kats
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Ex-NBA star Arenas arrested on charges of hosting illegal poker games
FORMER NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday along with five others on charges of running illegal 'high-stakes' poker games at his mansion in the Los Angeles suburbs, US prosecutors said. The 43-year-old Arenas, who starred for the Washington Wizards, rented out the luxury home that he owned in Encino 'for the purposes of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games' between September 2021 and July 2022, according to an indictment unsealed in Los Angeles. The indictment also alleges the gatherings included young women who received tips to 'serve drinks, provide massages, and offer companionship' to players. Arenas is 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. At his arraignment in federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, he pleaded not guilty and was released on $50,000 bond. US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian set a trial date of September 23. Those arrested Wednesday also included 49-year-old Yevgeni Gershman, described as a suspected organized crime figure from Israel. According to the indictment, an associate of Arenas, Arthur Kats, staged the house for the poker games at his direction, recruited co-conspirators and collected rent on Arenas's behalf. Gershman and the three other defendants allegedly ran the illegal 'Pot Limit Omaha' poker games in which players were charged a 'rake,' either a cut of each pot or a fee per hand. The women servers were allegedly required to pay some of their tips to the organizers, who also provided chefs, valets and armed guards. The indictment includes alleged texts between Arenas and Kats in which the games were set up. Authorities said that in November 2021, Arenas texted Kats a picture of a poker table with 'ARENAS POKER CLUB' printed on it, along with an image of a basketball player with an 'Arenas' jersey. If convicted, the defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count. Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star, last played in the league in 2012 and played for the Shanghai Sharks in China in 2012-13. In December 2009 he was involved in an infamous incident with Washington teammate Javaris Crittenton in which both brought guns into the locker room. Arenas claims their dispute stemmed from a card game. Arenas pleaded guilty to felony gun possession and was suspended for the final 50 games of the 2009-2010 NBA season- AFP
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Feds arrest ex-NBA star Arenas for alleged ‘high-stakes illegal poker' at Encino mansion
Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday alongside five other men on conspiracy charges for allegedly running an illegal 'high-stakes' poker game in Encino that included hiring women to provide 'companionship' for gamblers, court records show. Arenas, 43, rented out an Encino mansion that he owned between September 2021 and July 2022 'for the purposes of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games,' according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. Players were charged a 'rake' or tax to play, in addition to whatever they bet into various pots, prosecutors alleged in court records. Best known for his time as a guard on the Washington Wizards, Arenas is identified in court records by his nickname 'Agent Zero.' He last played professionally in China in 2013. Indicted alongside Arenas were: Yevgeni Gershman, 49, of Woodland Hills; Evgenni Tourevski, 48, of Tarzana, Allan Austria, 52, of West Hills; Yarin Cohen, 27, of Tarzana and Ievgen Krachun, 43, of Tarzana. Prosecutors described Gershman as a 'suspected organized crime figure' in Israel. Gershman, Tourevski, Austria and Cohen managed the poker games, prosecutors said. Gershman also allegedly hired young women to serve drinks, provide massages and offer 'companionship' to players, according to the indictment. The games began to come together in September 2021, according to the indictment. Kats texted Arenas asking whether he planned on doing his own game, records show. Arenas allegedly responded that he 'might throw plo games at my house,' referring to illegal 'Pot Limit Omaha' poker games at the 'Gable House.' The following month, Arenas allegedly texted Kats the date that the house would be available to host, the amount of rent he wanted to charge and the number of games he planned on hosting there per week. In November 2021, authorities said Arenas texted Kats a picture of a gold-trimmed poker table with 'ARENAS POKER CLUB' printed on it and an image of a basketball player with a jersey with the name 'Arenas' and the number zero below it. That year, in December, Kats allegedly texted Arenas saying that he owed him $14,000 for tables and chairs as a startup expense for hosting the games. That same month, Arenas allegedly told Kats he wanted the rake from an illegal poker game at the house to go to the mother of a deceased former lover. Arenas is slated to make his initial appearance in downtown L.A. on Wednesday afternoon. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gershman was separately accused of conspiring with 35-year-old Valentina Cojocari to enter into a 'sham marriage' so he could obtain legal permanent resident status in the U.S., prosecutors said. This is not the first time Arenas has run afoul of authorities due to gambling. In 2009, Arenas and then-Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton allegedly pulled guns on each other during a locker room argument over a card game. Police launched an investigation and Arenas later admitted to having three guns in his locker. No charges were filed but he was suspended for most of the 2009-2010 NBA season. Arenas' 18-year-old son, Alijah, was briefly placed in a coma after a serious car accident in Reseda earlier this year. The Chatsworth basketball standout and top-tier University of Southern California recruit has since recovered. Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved in the crash.
San Francisco Chronicle
20-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michael Waltrip joins ownership group of AF1's Nashville Kats
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip has joined the ownership group of the Nashville Kats, a founding franchise of the Arena Football 1 league. The Kats announced Waltrip joining the group Friday along with his craft beer company Michael Waltrip Brewing. The ownership group already includes former NFL coach Jon Gruden with Jeff Fisher, a former coach of the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans, majority owner. "We now have three living legends attached to the Nashville Kats — Jeff Fisher, Jon Gruden, and Michael Waltrip — all with the ultimate goal to win championships and raise the AF1 to its ultimate potential along with any team associated with the AF1,' said Bobby DeVoursney, the Kats' CEO and managing partner. Waltrip's brewery now is the team's official craft beer. The team also plans a 'Waltrip Winner's Circle' fan zone for the upcoming season. The Kats play the Southwest Kansas Storm on Sunday in Clarksville in the AF1 semifinals. ___
Business Wire
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
As Fintech Funding Falls to Seven-Year Low, Founders Debate Bootstrapping vs VC
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global fintech investment slumped to its lowest level since 2017, falling to $95.6 billion across 4,639 deals, according to KPMG's latest Pulse of Fintech report. In the UK, investment dropped by more than 25% year-on-year – its weakest level since the height of the pandemic. 'It's no longer about who raises the most,' says Dima Kats, CEO and Founder of Clear Junction. 'It's about who builds something that lasts. Bootstrapping forced us to focus on efficiency, product-market fit, and real value – not hype.' But not all fintech sectors are suffering equally. Payments stood out as a rare bright spot, with global investment rising to $31 billion – up from $17.2 billion the previous year. Analysts point to infrastructure innovation, market consolidation, and improved investor confidence as key drivers. As fintech's investment landscape shifts from growth-at-all-costs to sustainability, the funding paths chosen by founders are under renewed scrutiny. That question takes centre stage at Money20/20 Europe 2025, where two prominent fintech leaders will go head-to-head in a debate titled: Bootstrapping vs. Backers: The Fintech Funding Showdown. Dima Kats, CEO and Founder of leading global payments service provider Clear Junction, and Babs Ogundeyi, Founder and Group CEO of Nigerian neobank Kuda, will share radically different perspectives on how to build and scale a fintech under pressure. Kats built Clear Junction without external capital, scaling it into one of Europe's fastest-growing companies (FT1000, 2025). Ogundeyi, meanwhile, turned to venture funding to rapidly launch and expand Kuda – one of Africa's first challenger banks, now serving millions of customers. 'It's no longer about who raises the most,' says Kats. 'It's about who builds something that lasts. Bootstrapping forced us to focus on efficiency, product-market fit, and real value – not hype.' 'We had no time to lose,' says Ogundeyi. 'Millions were excluded from the financial system. Venture funding helped us build quickly with other knowledgeable and experienced people to meet urgent needs.' With investor appetite beginning to cautiously return in 2025 – albeit with more conservative deal sizes and heightened expectations – the discussion is expected to resonate with founders, funders, and policymakers alike. Moderated by Simone Ishikawa, founder of fintech and impact startup consultancy ishikoo, the session will examine: Would either business have survived on the other's funding path? The trade-offs between control, speed, and mission Whether founders can stay true to their purpose under investor scrutiny How funding models shape strategy in emerging vs. developed markets What both leaders wish they had known at the start of their journeys 'We're not here to pitch a playbook,' says Kats. 'We're here to show what it really takes.' 'Trust and inclusion are at the heart of both our missions,' adds Ogundeyi. 'But we chose different paths.' About Clear Junction Clear Junction helps regulated financial institutions access and manage cross-border payments, with a focus on operational security backed by strong compliance and risk management practices. The Group is licensed and approved by regulators in the UK, EU, and Canada to provide payment and crypto services. Through its extensive bank network and proprietary technology, Clear Junction offers reliable payment infrastructure, correspondent account services, and access to major clearing networks. By filling the gaps left by traditional providers, Clear Junction enables businesses to operate efficiently and expand globally. For more information, visit:.
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Karratha Kats and Falcons on the hunt for long-lost Derby Cup ahead of 40th anniversary match
The Karratha Kats and Falcons are calling on the Pilbara community to help find a missing piece of local footy history: the derby Cup, which hasn't been seen in more than a decade. With the 40th anniversary of the in-season derby fast approaching on June 21, both clubs are hoping to recover the original trophy. 'I found the cup in 2007 when we were doing a clean-out,' Falcons committee member Peta Mott said. 'It was pretty damaged, so I gave it to (local business) Keyspot to fix, and I don't recall seeing it after that. 'But the cup was last confirmed seen in 2012.' 'I would say a player or somebody had a good night after a game and thought to themselves 'Oh, I'll take that back', and as people do, they just forgot about it, or it's in a cupboard somewhere — in a box or in the shed.' Despite extensive efforts by both clubs, the cup has not resurfaced. Beyond its symbolic value, the trophy also serves as an important historical record. Engraved on it are the results of derby matches between the Kats and Falcons — information that is otherwise difficult to trace because of the region's highly transient population. The Kats and Falcons are going halves on the cost of a new cup, which will be presented by 1985 Falcons captain Mitchell Thomas at the upcoming derby. 'We're going to put scores around the bottom and replicate the cup. As scores come to light, we will put them on, but it would really be nice if the cup was found somewhere, because then we could get all that history,' Ms Mott said. 'It's only been the last four games that we've actually beaten Kats, so that was sort of another trigger, to get a bit of red on to the cup. 'If someone does have the cup, we would appreciate if they could send in photos from near or far so we can get the new one updated before June 21.'
