Major sports books will no longer offer proposition bets on NBA players who are making the least amount of money, after months of discussion between the league and its gambling partners, multiple league and industry sources told The Athletic.
Per an agreement between the NBA and its betting partners, including FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM, no “under’ bets will be offered on any player on either a two-way or 10-day contract.
“We are pleased that these actions have been taken to help protect the integrity of our games,” an NBA spokesperson told The Athletic when confirming the action taken.
“We adhere to all policies of our league partners,” added a FanDuel spokesman in confirming the agreement with the league.
Last season, the NBA expelled Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter for engaging in a conspiracy to affect the outcome of bets placed on him, among other infractions.
Most NBA players make several million dollars annually and would, in theory, be less likely to engage in gambling conspiracies for less money than they are earning on the court.
But a player such as Porter could be more susceptible to such a scheme. He was making about $560,00 on a two-way contract with the Raptors, splitting time between Toronto in the NBA and its G League affiliate.
According to an investigation by the NBA that led to Porter’s expulsion, Porter gave a confidential tip about his health to a person he knew to be a sports bettor before the Raptors’ game on March 20 against the Sacramento Kings. A third individual, connected to both Porter and the original recipient of Porter’s health information, placed an $80,000 parlay bet to win $1.1 million, a wager that hinged on the prediction that Porter would underperform against the Kings.
To make sure that the bet hit, the league found, Porter pulled himself out of that Kings game after just three minutes, claiming he was ill.
The investigation also showed that from January through March, while splitting games between Toronto and its G League affiliate, Raptors 905, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account. Although none of those bets were on games in which Porter played, he did bet on the Raptors to lose as part of a parlay bet. The wagers ranged in size from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,000.
He netted nearly $22,000 in winnings on the bets, the league said.
The NBA has multiple business arrangements with massive betting brands like DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, and several of its teams host sportsbooks inside their arenas in which they are paid a percentage of the handle, which is the amount of money wagered. (The Athletic also has a partnership with BetMGM.)
Under Silver, the NBA, in conjunction with the other pro leagues, has sought a federal sports betting law from Congress, but many lobbying efforts have not gained traction.
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