NBA Restricts Player Props and Parlays Following Betting Scandals

The NBA is restricting several types of player props and parlays at its partner sportsbooks, including some of the best sports betting sites, targeting wagers considered vulnerable to manipulation following high-profile gambling scandals involving current and former players.

The league communicated the changes Oct. 16, ahead of the 2026-27 season. The restrictions include first-basket markets, unders involving players expected to receive limited minutes and parlays combining multiple unders on the same player.

The WNBA will adopt the restrictions beginning in 2027, according to the Associated Press and Front Office Sports, which obtained the league's communications.

"Protecting the integrity of our games remains the NBA's top priority," a league spokesperson told SBC Americas.

Which NBA bets are being removed?

Sportsbook partners can no longer offer parlays combining multiple statistical unders on the same player, such as wagering on someone to finish below specified points, rebounds and assists totals. The NBA is also prohibiting unders involving players averaging or expected to play fewer than 12 minutes per game, along with certain alternate under lines offering larger payouts.

Other restricted markets include the opening tip, which player records the first basket, 3-pointer, rebound, assist, steal or block, and wagers on a player missing a specific shot attempt. The changes build on previous restrictions involving two-way and 10-day contract players, turnovers, fouls and missed free throws.

They do not constitute a blanket ban on player props or unders.

Some operators already had similar restrictions. DraftKings told Front Office Sports that the guidance formalizes many existing practices, while FanDuel, Fanatics and Caesars also expressed support for the changes.

Porter and Rozier cases provide backdrop

The restrictions follow gambling investigations involving former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter and former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July 2024, admitting he deliberately removed himself from games to help associates profit from wagers on his underperformance. The NBA banned Porter for life in April 2024 after investigating betting violations. One $80,000 parlay involving his statistical unders stood to return approximately $1.1 million before the wager was frozen.

Federal prosecutors have alleged a similar arrangement involving Rozier, who was playing for the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023. Prosecutors accuse Rozier of sharing information about plans to leave a game early, allowing associates to place wagers on his unders. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

NBA expands monitoring and education

The changes extend beyond the betting menu. Players, coaches and training staffs must attend in-person education sessions covering the league's gambling rules. Former NFL player and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman will lead the training.

The NBA has also developed an AI-based monitoring platform designed to identify suspicious wagering activity by analyzing betting patterns, injury reports and social media information. Additional measures include expanded protections against harassment from bettors and updated fan conduct rules.

However, the restrictions apply to authorized sportsbook partners, not automatically to prediction-market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, with which the league has no equivalent agreements.

The distinction comes as the NBA and WNBA launch a separate responsible-gambling education campaign with the National Council on Problem Gambling. Announced Oct. 13, the initiative addresses risks associated with both traditional sports betting and prediction markets.

For now, the NBA's approach focuses on removing wagers considered particularly vulnerable to manipulation while preserving much of the existing player-prop market.