NBA bans certain player prop bets after gambling scandals
The league is prohibiting parlays on player unders and other markets, citing integrity concerns following cases involving Jontay Porter and Terry Rozier.
The National Basketball Association is instructing its authorized betting partners to stop offering certain wagers this season over concerns about gambling integrity.
The restrictions include parlays combining multiple under bets on a single player’s statistics, a type of wagering linked to gambling scandals involving NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter.
The NBA is also banning “first-of” markets related to the first basket, 3-pointer, rebound, assist, steal, or block, along with bets on the outcome of the opening tip and whether players will miss specific shots.
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Under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes in a game are also prohibited.
The league outlined the restrictions in separate memos sent to sportsbooks and teams, according to reports.
“Seeing where we may have had issues in the past is one of the inputs to determining the types of things that we think could be problematic,” said NBA Executive Vice President Scott Kaufman-Ross.
Porter, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was permanently banned by the NBA in 2024.
He admitted he deliberately left two NBA games early in January and March 2024 while on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, working with gamblers so they could place winning under bets on his individual statistics.
U.S. federal prosecutors said one bettor charged in the scheme placed an $80,000 parlay on the under on Porter’s assists, rebounds, points, 3-pointers, steals, and blocks for a March 2024 game, with a potential payout of about US$1.1 million.
Rozier faces criminal charges over allegations that he collaborated with gamblers and has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege Rozier conspired with gamblers to leave a March 2023 game early while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, allowing bettors to profit from wagers on his statistical unders.
The NBA estimates that its authorized sportsbook partners, which include DraftKings and FanDuel, account for more than 99% of the U.S. betting market and can impose restrictions through their commercial agreements.
“The NBA’s guidance formalizes many of the market restrictions already reflected in DraftKings Sportsbook’s practices,” a DraftKings spokesperson said in a statement.
All players, coaches and training staff will be required to attend live, in-person training on the NBA’s sports betting rules, starting this season.
The memo identifies former Chicago Bears defensive back and FBI employee Charles “Peanut” Tillman as the person who will lead the in-person training.
The league also told teams and sportsbooks it is launching a new artificial intelligence-based data-monitoring platform to detect and investigate unusual betting activity on NBA games.
On the player harassment front, the NBA is upgrading its protections after an increase in complaints from players and coaches over abuse by sports bettors.
Players can opt into programs that identify and delete harassment and threats on social media.
The new betting restrictions will extend to Women’s National Basketball Association games beginning in 2027.