NBA gives Jontay Porter lifetime ban for sports betting

The NBA levied a lifetime ban on Toronto Raptors center Jontay Portay after an investigation found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors.

“The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor,” the NBA said in a release on Wednesday. “Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.”

The investigation also determined Porter “limited his own game participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game. In the March 20 game, Porter played only three minutes, claiming that he felt ill.  Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and was not paid out.”

It was found that Porter placed 13 or more bets on NBA games using someone else’s betting account. The total was $54,094 and he earned a $76,059 payout.

Sports betting operators raised red flags to the NBA after noticing Porter’s activity and betting around his own play.

“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,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players.  Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”

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