Cheating Referees and

Via Matthew Yglesias, I arrived at this story about the NBA referee who was gambling on games, even games he officiated.

Apparently the FBI is involved, but:

Nevada gambling regulators were not involved in an investigation and had no information about the allegations, said Jerry Markling, enforcement chief for the state Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board.

Now, I’m not saying that what this guy allegedly did was OK. I can see why the NBA would be unhappy, and a lot of the bookies and folks who wager on sports. But why is it a government matter? I assume if someone finds a way to cheat a blackjack and shows up at a casino, the casino (upon detecting the cheating, or for no reason at all for that matter) can have that person chucked out. But I don’t think its illegal to cheat at blackjack or other casino games. (Am I wrong about this?)

Clearly I’m missing something here. It may be because I don’t wager on sports and therefore am woefully underinformed about some key detail. Apologies for my ignorance, but would someone set me straight on this?