The NBA has been rocked with scandal over the past year as it pertains to sports betting. Sports betting is now integrated into almost every broadcast. It’s ingrained in the game from the weekly talk shows to the pregame coverage. Now the NBA is putting some guardrails on multiple bets within some of the most prominent sportsbooks. Apparently, having players allegedly help bettors cash massive parlays wasn’t exactly great for business.
According to ESPN, the league is banning several types of bets this season, including same-player parlays involving multiple statistical unders — the very wagers at the center of recent gambling scandals involving Jontay Porter and Terry Rozier.
If you haven’t seen the videos of Terry Rozier allegedly botching plays, shooting wild shots, and turning the ball over in ridiculous ways, check it out here.
A self-service betting kiosk displaying NBA game odds inside the Fanatics Sportsbook on Nov. 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
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These are also getting the boot in sportsbooks:
- Bets on opening tip winners
- Players to miss specific shots
- Unders involving players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes
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The crackdown comes after Porter admitted to intentionally removing himself from games to help gamblers cash in. In March 2024, one bettor reportedly placed an $80,000 parlay on six of Porter’s statistical unders, with a potential payout of roughly $1.1 million. Porter conveniently exited after just three minutes.
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Not exactly subtle.
Federal prosecutors allege a similar scheme involved Rozier in March 2023, when he left a Charlotte Hornets game after approximately nine minutes. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets brings the ball up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Spectrum Center on Jan. 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
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NBA executive Scott Kaufman-Ross told ESPN the league is trying to eliminate problematic wagers without pushing bettors toward illegal sportsbooks.
Translation: The NBA wants to clean up gambling without losing the legal betting market.
While speaking to Fox Business, a DraftKings spokesperson said, “The NBA’s guidance formalizes many of the market restrictions already reflected in DraftKings Sportsbook’s practices. DraftKings supports the NBA’s efforts and is committed to continued collaboration with the league to maintain game integrity, including through appropriate limits on betting markets. DraftKings’ Code of Responsible Engagement is fully aligned with the league’s stance on the harassment of athletes, coaches or officials.”
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The league is also stepping up its monitoring efforts, upgrading its AI-powered betting surveillance system and bringing in former NFL star and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman to educate players on gambling rules.
Charles Tillman of the Chicago Bears speaks during the 2011 Walter Payton man of the year award press conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center at the J.W. Marriott on Feb. 3, 2012. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/USA TODAY Sports)
Speaking to Fox Business, a FanDuel spokesperson said, “The legalized sports betting industry is built on a foundation of dialogue and collaboration with our league partners and the states in which we operate. We remain unwavering in our commitment to building a legal and regulated market that roots out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and damage the integrity of the games we love.”
And because angry gamblers apparently need reminding that losing a parlay isn’t a license to harass athletes, the NBA is introducing additional protections against threats and online abuse.
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The league is partnering with a third-party service to help players remove harassing social media messages and launching a hotline to report threats.
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The message is pretty clear: Bet on basketball all you want. Just don’t expect the NBA to make it easy to turn suspicious player performances into million-dollar paydays.
