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The NBA found itself at the center of an uncomfortable gambling scandal last season that led to Jontay Porter being banned for life, and it’s gotten an assist from some notable sportsbooks as it attempts to avoid seeing another similar situation unfold in the future.
Like every major sports league, the NBA has found itself grappling with the darker side of the explosion of legal sports betting in the United States in recent years.
It’s been more than happy to reap the financial benefits of undoubtedly lucrative deals with DraftKings and FanDuel (its two official betting partners), but there’s been plenty of cause for concern due to the increase in abuse and harassment players are subjected to from angry fans as well as increased scrutiny concerning the integrity of the sport based on how much money is now on the line.
In March, the NBA was faced with a bit of a nightmare courtesy of Jontay Porter, the Raptors big man who became the focus of an investigation concerning suspicious betting patterns that eventually determined he’d given out inside information to bettors concerning props that failed to hit due to early exits and even wagered against his own team on another person’s account.
Porter was ultimately hit with a lifetime ban from the league and was hit with federal charges he pleaded guilty to ahead of a sentencing hearing in December where he’ll likely be forced to serve between three and four years in prison thanks to the scheme.
According to ESPN, the scandal led to the NBA reaching out to major sportsbooks over the summer to explore the institution of new policies designed to prevent a repeat, and DraftKings and FanDuel have confirmed they will no longer give users the option to bet the under on individual prop bets involving players on a two-way or 10-day contract (a.k.a. guys who don’t have the same kind of financial security as those with a guaranteed deal).
As things currently stand, it’s unclear if other sportsbooks will be following suit, but we’ll likely know for sure by the time the regular season kicks off next Tuesday.