The announcement made by the NBA today concerns Jontay Porter, a versatile athlete recently associated with the Toronto Raptors, who is now banned from the NBA. The league’s investigation revealed that Porter disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, intentionally limited his participation in certain games for gambling purposes, and placed bets on NBA matchups.
Prior to the Raptors’ match on March 20, Porter shared private health information with an individual identified as an NBA bettor. Subsequently, another individual connected to Porter, also a bettor, placed an $80,000 parlay bet with an online sportsbook, aiming to win $1.1 million by betting on Porter’s underperformance in the March 20 game.
Furthermore, it came to light that Porter deliberately reduced his playing time to influence the outcomes of bets placed on his performance in at least one Raptors game. During the March 20 match, Porter only saw three minutes of play, citing illness. The suspicious betting activities led to the forfeiture of the $80,000 bet.
Between January and March 2024, while traveling with the Raptors or their affiliate, Raptors 905, Porter placed a total of 13 wagers on NBA games through an associate’s online betting account, ranging from $15 to $22,000, with a cumulative value of $54,094. These bets resulted in combined winnings of $76,059, yielding a profit of $21,965. Notably, none of the wagers were on matches in which Porter participated. Despite including three multi-game parlays featuring a Raptors game, where Porter bet on the Raptors losing, all three bets were lost.
Suspicious wagers concerning Porter’s performance during the Raptors’ March 20 game were red-flagged by licensed sportsbooks and a regulatory body overseeing legal betting markets.
These findings are based on the available information to league investigators. The NBA’s inquiry is ongoing and could reveal additional details. Collaboration between the NBA and federal prosecutors is taking place to address the matter.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver remarked: “Protecting the integrity of NBA competitions is crucial for our fans, teams, and all stakeholders. The deliberate infractions by Jontay Porter against our gaming rules will be met with severe consequences. While legal sports betting promotes transparency in identifying questionable activities, this incident raises concerns about the current regulatory framework, including the types of wagers allowed on our games and players. We remain committed to safeguarding the league and the sport in close cooperation with industry stakeholders.”
Image Source: Jontay Porter @ X (Twitter)
