It seems like so much work for relatively so little payoff. There’s a lesson here for non criminals also.
Definitely a lot of work but that seems like a half decent payday to me.
Just extorting Chauncey Billips seems like a better ROI than the whole caper if you’ve got some hold on him.
The article says "A cut OF THE PROFITS went to those who helped in the plot," implying that the $7m wasn't truly profit but actually revenue? The writing is unclear to me. I'm not sure if this is before paying out to 30+ people over several years, or after, but article implies before, that it's how much was taken from victims. That I think makes the difference on whether or not it was a decent payday. The profit would be how much supposedly went to fund their other operations, which the article does allege some went to.
Same reason there are people out there who shoplift even though they don’t need what they’re grabbing. The thrill of the act.
And that they just didn't want to operate it at a loss.
The poker game itself in high-roller situations could be a million plus per night depending on the stakes.
Then there's the whole "you owe the Mafia" angle with NBA players and coaches. It's a pretty clear line to the Mafia making tens of millions of dollars on rigged NBA games.