Jontay Porter Banned for Life from NBA Following Betting Investigation
The NBA dropped the hammer on Toronto Raptors big man Jontay Porter on Wednesday, banning him for life following an investigation by the league.
The investigation into Porter uncovered that he had disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limited his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and bet on NBA games, including betting on the Raptors to lose.
Given the importance of maintaining integrity across our best sports betting sites, the suspicious bets involving Porter were flagged and brought to the NBA's attention by licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement following the investigation detailing the league's findings and announcing that Porter has been banned for life from the league and its associated leagues, such as the NBA G League.
“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 said in a statement.
League findings
The league began its investigation into Porter on March 25 for "multiple instances of betting irregularities over the past several months," with a specific game involving Porter raising red flags.
The NBA's investigation found that Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor prior to a Raptors game on March 20.
According to the league's findings from the investigation, another individual that Porter was associated with and knew to be an NBA bettor placed an $80,000 parlay with an online sportsbook, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.
Porter limited his own participation in games to influence the outcome of one or more bets, the league said. The league confirmed that this took place in the March 20 game, where Porter removed himself after playing only three minutes and claiming he felt ill.
The unusual betting activity and actions of the player were flagged by the sportsbook where the wager was placed and the $80,000 parlay was frozen and not paid out, the league said.
There was also evidence found through the NBA's investigation of Porter placing bets from January through March 2024 on NBA games. The league said he used an associate's online betting account to place at least 13 bets ranging from $15 to $22,000 for a total of $54,094 - the total payout of the bets was $76,059.
Although Porter didn't play in any of these games, three of the bets were multi-game parlays that included betting on the Raptors to lose.
Fallout of betting scandal
The NBA stated that these findings are based on the information available to league investigators at this time and that the league’s investigation remains open and may result in further findings.
The league has shared and will continue to share information with federal prosecutors about this matter, according to the statement.
"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," Silver said. "Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Raptors President Masai Ujiri spoke Wednesday about the issue prior to Porter's ban being announced by the NBA.
"You don't want this for the kid, you don't want this for our team and we don't want this for our league, that's for sure," Ujiri said. "My first reaction is obviously surprise, because none of us, I don't think anybody, saw this coming."
Porter is the most recent professional athlete to be investigated for sports betting after the NFL handed down several suspensions last offseason, including indefinite suspensions to Isaiah Rodgers Sr., Rashod Berry, and Demetrius Taylor.
