NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Not Surprised by Betting Scandals
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently addressed the league's challenges with betting scandals. He told Front Office Sports this week that such issues were "predictable" when sports betting became legalized.
The NBA has faced multiple high-profile cases, including the lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter in April 2024 for betting on NBA games and sharing injury information with bettors. Earlier this year, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and free agent Malik Beasley were both linked to federal investigations into gambling activity, though neither has been charged. The NBA continues to investigate Beasley.
Silver, who called for legalized sports betting in a 2014 op-ed article in the New York Times, described how he could see the resulting system having federal guidelines that included universal state rules and professional leagues' involvement in regulation. When PASPA was, in fact, overthrown by the Supreme Court in 2018, individual states were left to establish their own regulations.
Silver went on to define that fractured system as limiting the league's defense of game integrity. Prop bets have also been condemned by Silver, whose concern is that they make game manipulation more likely.
After Porter's ban, the NBA and the players' union were in favor of limiting such bets, and some sportsbooks voluntarily deleted them for two-way players. Although the risk exists, Silver argues that regulated betting is preferable to black markets, portraying the decision as one of transparency over illegal underground activity.
NCAA betting scandal adds to integrity concerns
The NCAA's recent enforcement action highlights that gambling-related issues extend beyond professional sports. A week before Silver's comments, the NCAA permanently banned three men's college basketball players, Mykell Robinson, Steven Vasquez, and Jalen Weaver, for betting on games involving their own teams.
An investigation revealed that Robinson and Vasquez, former roommates at Fresno State, coordinated wagers that included Robinson deliberately underperforming in certain statistical categories. The suspicious activity was first flagged by a Nevada sportsbook and referred to NCAA enforcement in January 2025.
Robinson reportedly placed multiple bets on his own performance, including one $1,200 wager intended to yield $8,700. Investigators also found that he and Weaver exchanged betting information, with both placing bets that involved their own play.
The NCAA said Robinson and Vasquez failed to cooperate with its probe, while Weaver admitted to his violation. All three athletes were removed from their teams and are no longer enrolled at their previous schools.
Neither Fresno State nor San Jose State received penalties, though both institutions stated they had cooperated with investigators.
NCAA rules strictly prohibit athletes and staff from wagering on any NCAA-sanctioned sport, with lifetime bans for those betting on their own team or sport. The association stated that its enforcement staff are currently working on several additional gambling cases across multiple programs.
