The NBA inflicted strong punishment on a Toronto Raptors player who was subject to a gambling investigation. On Tuesday, the league set a major precedent by giving the player a lifetime ban.
The NBA investigated Jontay Porter
As previously discussed on HH, Jontay Porter allegedly bet millions in wagers:
“Matt Hladik of The Spun reported that Porter used a popular sports betting service to open an account and gambled on games before the Raptors picked him up:
Porter allegedly owned and operated a FanDuel VIP account out of Colorado where he placed “over 1,000” wagers between 2021 and 2023, Action Network’s Chase Howell said. Right now, there is no evidence any of the reported wagers were NBA-related.
The betting occurred while Porter played for multiple G League teams and ceased right before he signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors in December 2023.
“He was firing all of the time,” a source told Howell.
The amount of bets Jontay Porter placed while he was still making rounds in the G League would have easily gotten him millions of dollars if he bet on games he was involved in. His actions greatly affect the league’s integrity among fans and investors.”
The Toronto Raptors player gets a lifetime ban
According to Adrian Wojnarowski with EPSN, the NBA gave Porter a lifetime ban.
NBA has leveled a lifetime ban on Jontay Porter for gambling.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2024
Per Wojnarowski, the league released a statement on the ban. He reportedly gave inside information to an NBA bettor. He also placed bets on NBA games through an associates account:
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. 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.
In addition, from January through March 2024, while traveling with the Raptors or Raptors 905, the Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account. These bets ranged in size from $15 to $22,000, for a total of $54,094. The total payout from these bets was $76,059, resulting in net winnings of $21,965. None of the bets involved any game in which Porter played.
The NBA needed to set an example
The NBA needed to set this precedent. With legalized gambling becoming more widespread, professional leagues have the responsibility to fans to ensure their games are not being tampered with. Players now know they can lose their careers for improper bets.
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