Following a federal gambling investigation involving three of its players, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have announced their support for new limitations on certain types of sports betting to protect the integrity of the game and reduce player harassment.
An NBA spokesperson stated that “protecting the integrity of our game is paramount,” and that “reasonable limitations on certain prop bets should be given due consideration.” The league’s goal is to lower the risk of performance manipulation while still allowing fans to place bets through legal, regulated channels.
This move comes after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a lifetime ban to former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter in April 2024. Porter subsequently pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges in July, admitting he had deliberately underperformed in two games to ensure bets placed on his statistics would be successful. In response, the NBA had already asked its partner sportsbooks to stop offering wagers on the “under” for prop bets involving players on two-way contracts, like Porter was.
Porter is one of three NBA players known to be part of the federal inquiry, along with Terry Rozier and Malik Beasley, neither of whom has been charged with a crime.
While the NBPA considers the Porter case an outlier with no evidence of other performance manipulation, it is concerned about the abuse athletes face from bettors. An association spokesperson said players “are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment, both online and in person,” adding, “If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, then we support taking a closer look at them.”
The push for stricter betting rules extends beyond the NBA. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has called for a ban on “microbets”—wagers on specific in-game events—after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were placed on leave amid an MLB investigation into suspicious betting activity. In New Jersey, a similar bill to eliminate microbets has been introduced, with Assembly member Dan Hutchison warning that such wagers risk corrupting “the integrity of the sport.”
Major League Baseball is reportedly discussing the issue of microbets, though its players’ union declined to comment. The NFL and the NFL Players Association also declined to comment when contacted.
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