Almost a year to the day after a massive gambling scandal rocked the sport, the NBA is taking what it hopes is a significant step in its battle against illicit betting activities.
ESPN reported that the league sent out a memo to its sportsbook partners, including DraftKings and FanDuel, to ban multiple types of bets that were exploited in recent scandals.
These wagers include parlays involving the Under on the same player’s statistics, under bets on players expected to play less than 12 minutes a game, and a handful of “first of” markets, such as who will win the opening tip or the result of a player’s first shot.
Parlay bets on a single player’s Unders have appeared in two recent federal cases involving NBA players.
Johntay Porter pleaded guilty in federal court in 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and admitted that he intentionally removed himself from games early to benefit bettors who bet his Unders.
Porter was on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors at the time.
Court documents revealed that one of the bettors involved in the plot built an $80,000 parlay that netted $1.1 million on the Under on Porter’s assists, rebounds, points, 3-pointers, steals and blocks in a game against the Kings. Porter left the game after playing just three minutes.
Federal prosecutors allege that gamblers deployed a similar scheme involving Rozier when he was playing for the Hornets in a game against the Pelicans in March 2023.
The veteran guard left that contest after playing just nine minutes. Rozier has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies any wrongdoing.
As part of its agreement with its partner sportsbooks, the NBA reportedly has the authority to restrict the markets the bookmakers can offer.
Per ESPN, the NBA estimates that its partner sportsbooks account for upward of 99% of the betting market in the United States.
“The NBA has held active communication with major gaming companies on tightening wagers in the aftermath of recent betting scandals,” Shams Charania reported. “The new list of prohibited bets join restrictions from prior seasons — including bets on 10-day or two-way contract players, player props on turnovers, bets related to fouls, and bets related to missed free throws.”
According to a memo released to all 30 teams, the NBA has tapped former NFL star and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman to lead training on the league’s rules around sports betting.
The memo also noted that the NBA is making an effort to better protect players, coaches, and personnel from harassment by sports bettors by updating its fan code of conduct.
In addition, the NBA has launched a new hotline where harassment and threats can be securely reported, and it has partnered with a third-party vendor, Social Project, which will allow players to identify and delete harassing messages on social media.
