NBA bans Jontay Porter for life for sports betting and game-fixing
The NBA on Wednesday announced its first lifetime ban on players since legalized sports gambling became widespread in the United States.
The NBA announced Wednesday that 24-year-old Jontay Porter, who recently joined the Toronto Raptors, has been banned from professional basketball for life for sharing confidential information with sports bettors and trying to score points with him. Cooperative players benefit from at least two games being manipulated.
The NBA said: "Nothing is more important to our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport than protecting the integrity of NBA games, which is why Joeta Porter blatantly violated Behavior within the rules of our game will be punished with the harshest possible penalties," Commissioner Adam Silber.
"While legal sports betting provides transparency and helps identify suspicious or unusual activity, this matter also raises important questions about the adequacy of the current regulatory framework, including for our games and the types of wagers offered to our players," Seale Fu continued. "We will work closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry to continue our efforts to protect our league and game."
Match-fixing
Porter is known as a "two-way player" because he has been commuting between the NBA Raptors and the team's G-League development partner Raptors 905 this season. During his two-year tenure, Porter played only 37 career NBA games.
An NBA investigation revealed that Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games between January and March 2024 through a friend's online sports betting account. His bets ranged from $15,000 to $22,000, and he won $21,965 in the promotion.
Investigation shows Porter bet on the Raptors to lose at least once. NBA players are prohibited from betting on NBA games regardless of whether they are participating in the game.
A more serious breach occurred after a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings when Porter revealed confidential information about his health to an NBA bettor he knew. The bettor then risked $80,000 due to Porter's poor performance.
Porter walked away minutes into the game, winning $1.1 million on the bet. He reportedly told his coach he didn't feel well and couldn't continue playing.
Because the high stakes appeared suspicious, DraftKings refused to pay out the winnings and instead notified the authorities of possible game manipulation.
The news follows a similar incident on Jan. 26, when betting on Porter's poor performance against the Los Angeles Clippers surged. During that game, Porter informed his coaches that he had to be substituted due to an eye injury. He held no points all game and had only 3 rebounds and 1 assist, all of which were below the sportsbook's appropriate over/under pregame limits due to Porter's performance.
The NCAA strictly discourages betting on players at the college level because such betting increases harassment of student-athletes. The NBA may soon take a similar stance after seeing how players like Porter single-handedly threaten the integrity of the sport.
Porter is the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr. and plays for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. Brother Porter won the 2023 NBA Finals.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION
The NBA said its investigation into Joetae Porter's alleged criminal activity is ongoing and the league is sharing its findings with federal authorities, including the Department of Justice and the FBI.
"The NBA has shared information regarding this matter with federal prosecutors and will continue to do so," a league statement said.
If Porter is found to have received bribes from fraudulent sports bettors, he could face multiple federal charges, including wire fraud.
Porter said he bet "millions of dollars" on sports through his VIP account at FanDuel before entering his NBA career. Porter joins 19 other players on the NBA's lifetime ban list.
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Source: www.casino.org
