Kylie Jenner Former NYC Rental at Center of Mafia and NBA Gambling Scandal
In a story that seems pulled from a Hollywood crime thriller, federal prosecutors have unveiled a massive gambling scheme where a luxurious New York City townhouse, once rented by Kylie Jenner’s ex-partner Travis Scott, served as a backdrop for a mafia-operated, high-stakes poker ring . The operation allegedly involved rigged tables, secret contact lenses, and former NBA stars working with organized crime to cheat victims out of millions.
The case, which has sent shockwaves through the sports and entertainment worlds, highlights the surprising intersection of celebrity real estate and sophisticated criminal enterprises. While the world of Kylie Jenner is one of curated social media perfection, the federal indictment paints a picture of a hidden, criminal world operating just out of frame.
The Greenwich Village Townhouse : From Celebrity Crash Pad to Mob Den
The six-story mansion at 80 Washington Place in Greenwich Village is at the heart of the story. Just steps from Washington Square Park, the property boasts six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and luxury amenities like a glass elevator, an outdoor hot tub, and a full Viking kitchen . With a recent sale price of $17 million, it represents the pinnacle of New York City luxury real estate .
Travis Scott, the rapper and father of Kylie Jenner’s two children, rented the townhouse as an East Coast crash pad around 2021 . While initial reports suggested Jenner was involved in the rental, those have since been corrected; Scott was the sole tenant, though Jenner was known to stay there . Their connection to the property, however, is merely a prelude to its alleged later use.
According to a sweeping federal indictment unsealed in late October 2025, the townhouse became one of two primary Manhattan locations for an illegal, high-stakes poker ring run by members of four of New York’s most powerful crime families: the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families . The games, which prosecutors say ran from at least January 2021 through October 2023, were not just illegal—they were rigged from the start .
A High-Tech Cheating Scheme: X-Ray Tables and Altered Shufflers
The alleged methods used to cheat players read like a spy novel. United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. outlined a sophisticated operation that relied on a mixture of advanced technology and old-school mob tactics .
Prosecutors say the conspirators used several ingenious cheating tools :
- X-Ray Tables: Specially designed poker tables that could secretly read the value of cards placed face-down on the felt.
- Rigged Card Shufflers: Commercially available shuffling machines that were secretly altered to read the order of the deck and relay that information to an off-site operator. This operator would then send the data via cellphone to a “quarterback” at the table.
- Marked Cards and Special Lenses: Playing cards marked in a way that was only visible to someone wearing specially designed contact lenses or sunglasses.
The “quarterback” would receive secret signals about which players held the best hands, allowing the mob-linked players to bet with impossible confidence. The FBI states that victims lost at least $7 million in this orchestrated scheme .
The NBA Connection: “Face Cards” and a Violent Confrontation
Adding to the scandal’s notoriety is the deep involvement of National Basketball Association figures. Former NBA players, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-Cleveland Cavaliers player Damon Jones, are accused of acting as “face cards” . Their role was to use their celebrity status to attract wealthy individuals to the games, lending an air of legitimacy and excitement in exchange for a share of the profits .
The townhouse was also the scene of a dramatic, violent incident in the fall of 2023. A rift grew between the criminal factions when a rival group of mobsters decided to host a competing poker game on the same night as the main operation’s game at another location . In response, a band of wiseguys allegedly stormed 80 Washington Place armed with guns and other weapons, leading to a vicious brawl inside the luxury property to stop the rival game .
The Legal Fallout and Where Kylie Jenner Stands
The legal repercussions are already unfolding. More than 30 people have been charged in connection with the two intertwined schemes: the rigged poker games and a separate illegal sports betting operation involving NBA insider information . Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested on allegations he faked an early exit from a game to help win “under” bets .
In the poker case, attorneys for the accused are preparing their defenses. A lawyer for Chauncey Billups stated his client is a “man of integrity” who would never “cheat and defraud others,” arguing Billups would not risk his “hall-of-fame legacy” for a card game .
For Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, the news is a matter of unwanted association. Federal authorities have been clear on one crucial point: neither Jenner nor Scott is named in the extensive indictment . There is no indication they had any knowledge of the criminal activity that allegedly took place within the property after Scott’s tenancy . They are portrayed as unwitting bystanders whose former rental property became a convenient stage for a criminal enterprise.
The story of Kylie Jenner and the mafia poker games is a stark reminder of how glamorous facades can sometimes conceal darker realities. As the case moves through the federal courts, the world will be watching, seeing how justice unfolds in a scandal that has entangled mobsters, athletes, and one of the most famous addresses in Manhattan.