NBA Issues Lifetime Ban for Jontay Porter in Gambling Scandal
Toronto Raptors center and power forward Jontay Porter has been permanently banned from the NBA after an investigation found he'd participated in illegal gambling activities during his time in the league.
In a statement, the NBA declared that the investigation discovered Porter "violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games."
In the lead-up to the Raptors' March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings (which the team lost), Porter "disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor."
"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 statement continued.
That was only the beginning of what the investigation found. According to the NBA, Porter—the brother of Denver Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr.—purposely held back his own game participation "to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game."
The league also found that between January and March 2024, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using someone else's online betting account. None of the bets were on any game in which he played; three of them were multi-game parlay bets that included one Raptors game where Porter bet that his team would lose. The investigation was launched after licensed sports betting operators noticed the unusual activity and notified the NBA.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/h2TIkaE7xs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 17, 2024
NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed his thoughts on the matter and explained why the league opted to ban Porter for life.
"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," Silver stated.
"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," he added. "Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game."
The investigation remains open, so more findings could surface in the coming weeks. The NBA is cooperating with federal prosecutors involved in the situation.