NBA Bans Bets on Player Stats to Prevent Deliberate Underperformance
NBA takes action against sports betting that could incentivize player misconduct.
2 min read
The NBA has implemented new restrictions on sports betting to prevent players from deliberately underperforming or leaving games early to benefit bettors. The league has instructed authorized sportsbook partners, including DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop offering certain wagers beginning this season, according to a memo obtained by ESPN.
Banning Problematic Wagers
The new rules prohibit parlays that combine multiple bets on the same player falling short of specified statistical totals. These restrictions were informed by past cases, including the gambling scandal involving former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, who was banned for life from the NBA in 2024 after admitting to intentionally removing himself from games to benefit bettors.
Federal prosecutors alleged that a bettor placed an $80,000 parlay on the unders for six of Porter’s statistics in a March 2024 game against the Sacramento Kings. The wager would have paid approximately $1.1 million. Porter played just three minutes before leaving the game.
Broader Restrictions and New Monitoring Tools
The NBA also banned bets on the winner of the opening tip, whether players will miss specific shots, and under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes a game. NBA executive vice president Scott Kaufman-Ross emphasized that the league aims to strike a balance between removing problematic bet types and preventing activity from moving into the illegal market.
Additionally, the NBA has developed an artificial intelligence-based monitoring platform to detect unusual betting activity by analyzing injury reports, social media, and wagering patterns. The league also introduced an optional service for players to identify and remove abusive social media messages and a secure text-message hotline for reporting harassment and threats.
Extending to WNBA and Training Requirements
The new rules will also extend to WNBA games beginning in 2027. Players, coaches, and training staff are required to attend in-person training sessions on the league’s sports betting rules, led by former NFL player and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman.
Kaufman-Ross noted that the Porter and Rozier cases were instrumental in shaping the league’s decision to ban parlays involving multiple unders on the same player. The NBA had previously restricted certain wagers involving players on two-way contracts after the Porter scandal came to light. Other existing restrictions cover bets involving turnovers, fouls, and missed free throws.
Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is also under investigation for conspiring with associates to profit from nonpublic information about his performance in a March 2023 game, when he played for the Charlotte Hornets. Prosecutors allege Rozier left after approximately nine minutes, allowing bettors to capitalize on wagers involving his statistical unders. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
Source: Daily Wire
