According to one of the National Basketball Association’s latest press releases, Toronto Raptors’ forward Jontay Porter has been banned from the league for violating its gambling rules. On April 17, 2024, the NBA officially announced that the player had disclosed confidential information to punters, manipulated his game performance for betting purposes, and wagered on NBA games.
This is the first time the league has imposed the maximum penalty on a player since the legalization of sports betting in the US in 2018. It comes amid concerns regarding the impact of the sports betting industry on sports integrity. Betting is now authorized in 38 states and the District of Columbia, with professional leagues prohibiting players and employees from wagering, especially on their own sports.
The league’s investigation uncovered that prior to the Sacramento Kings vs Toronto Raptors March 20, 2024 game, the player shared confidential information about his health status that would be instrumental in winning parley proposition bets. He liaised with an NBA bettor who placed an $80,000 wager with a sportsbook that would generate a profit of $1.1 million if the center-forward underperformed.
Furthermore, the NBA said that the player manipulated his performance and limited his game participation to impact the outcome of these bets. During the March 20 game, Porter’s playing time was less than 3 minutes. As the press release explained, the player claimed he felt ill. The $80,000 wager, respectively, had been canceled and not paid out.
The former Toronto Raptors star placed at least 13 bets for a period spanning January to March 2024 through another person’s account. The wagers ranged in value from $15 to $22,000 and totaled $54,094. Should the bets win, they would generate a payout of $76,059 or a net profit of $21,965.
The League’s Investigation Is Ongoing and “May Result in Further Findings”
On March 25, 2024, less than four months after Jontay Porter signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, the NBA launched an investigation of the player’s reported betting irregularities.
Additionally, on April 11, the Colorado Division of Gaming instructed sportsbook operators to report any suspicious wagering activity related to “NBA affiliated games”. As the league reported, the investigation “remains open and may result in further findings.” It would continue to cooperate with federal prosecutors about the uncovered gambling violations, as stated in the press release.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented on the major gambling scandal: “There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment. “
He added that the case had raised issues concerning the current regulatory framework and the bet types that were on offer. Thus far, an agent for Porter has not responded to a request for comment.
As CasinoGamesPro reported, the National Football League was similarly rocked by another major illegal gambling scandal involving Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Last week, the US Department of Justice charged the interpreter with bank fraud for stealing $16 million from the LA Dodgers star to cover his gambling debts.
