Toronto Raptors Jontay Porter Facing Lifetime Ban for Gambling Indiscretions

Gambling issues were front-and-center at an NBA board of governor's meeting on Wednesday, with Toronto Raptors backup center Jontay Porter the main topic of conversation. Maintaining integrity with these issues is paramount to our best sports betting sites.

Following what has been called "multiple instances of betting irregularities over the past several months,” the NBA seems ready and eager to act upon the indiscretions of one of its own. 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned the possibility of a lifetime suspension for the young Raptors forward for alleged wagering activity on games that Porter was involved in and prop bets surrounding his personal performance.

Silver called Porter's alleged actions a "cardinal sin."

“I have an enormous range of discipline available to me,” said Silver after the meetings. “But it’s a cardinal sin, what he’s accused of in the NBA, and the ultimate, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here. Because there’s nothing more serious, I think, around this league when it comes to gambling: betting on our games. And that is a direct player involvement. And so, the investigation is ongoing, but the consequences could be very severe.”

The incidents in question

Two weeks ago, the NBA and the Gaming Commission of Ontario were made “aware of prop betting irregularities linked to Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter” and the NBA’s interest in the matter.

DraftKings reported that Porter's player props lines were attracting an unusually high activity and that bets on the backup center were the biggest money maker on Jan. 26 in particular. Raptors games on that date and March 20 drew some extra scrutiny.

Porter played minimal minutes in both games and was removed in each because of injury and illness, and failed to come close to oddsmakers' prop betting lines for points, rebounds, and three-pointers.

For the Jan. 26 game, Porter's prop betting lines were 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 three-pointers. He finished that game with zero points, three rebounds, and one assist without even attempting a three-point shot. He played just four minutes and 24 seconds in that contest before leaving with an injury.

On March 20, during a game against the Sacramento Kings, Porter allegedly placed bets on himself. He left the game after three minutes, citing illness.

Seriousness

The potential risks of legal sports betting have been in the news lately, with MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani's interpreter being charged with stealing from the baseball superstar to satisfy his gambling addiction and debt.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff has recently spoken out about threats he has received from bettors. Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton has been in the news with his feelings of being a "prop" on the floor. Rudy Gobert has gone on record saying, "I know the betting and all that is becoming bigger and bigger, but it shouldn’t feel that way.”

For his part, the NBA Commissioner seems to be saying all the right things in addressing the seriousness of the potentially line-crossing relationship between sports and sports betting. 

“At the end of the day, there’s nothing more important than the integrity of the competition,” Silver said. “And so, any issue raised around that is of great concern to me and to all commissioners, to all people who are safeguards, who are all people who are in a position and have a responsibility to safeguard the game. Again, this is a burgeoning industry in the United States. It’s been legal in other places in the world for decades. There’s lessons to be learned from the way that sports betting is monitored and regulated in other jurisdictions. And again, I think as these unfortunate examples come along, we may have to adjust our rules and our partner gaming companies and those companies that aren’t our partners may have to adjust their behavior as well.”