The NBA has banned Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter for disclosing confidential health information to known sports bettors and placing bets exceeding $54,000 on league games. An investigation revealed that Porter played briefly in games on Jan. 26 and March 20 before leaving due to injury or illness. A known NBA bettor placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game, which was frozen and not paid out due to Porter’s actions.
During the investigation, it was found that Porter placed at least 13 bets ranging from $15 to $22,000 on NBA games while traveling with the Raptors or their G League affiliate. The total payout from these bets was $76,059. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed concern about the violation of gaming rules and the need to protect the integrity of NBA competition. Porter has not commented on the investigation and has not played for the Raptors since the ban, citing personal reasons.
Porter, the brother of Denver forward Michael Porter, was averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 games before the ban. He also played in 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-21 season. NBA rules permit sanctions ranging from fines to perpetual disqualification for players who wager on league games. Porter is the second person to be banned by Silver for violating league rules, the first being Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014.
The NBA has had ties with gaming companies for years, including partnerships with FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings as official gaming partners. The league also has relationships with 24 other gaming operators. Despite legal sports betting providing transparency to identify suspicious activities, the Porter case highlights concerns about the sufficiency of the current regulatory framework for sports betting and the types of bets offered on NBA games. The league plans to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the safeguarding of the league and the game.
