Jontay Porter’s NBA Ban Explained

By Matt Speakman,
Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

Matt Speakman Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

A die-hard fan of the Patriots, Matt Speakman is an expert on everything related to sports betting and DFS sites. Over the years, he has proven a valuable asset for our team at online-gambling.com. You can find Speakman's professional tips and tricks in any of his many articles on the website.

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Last updated: April 20, 2024

Jontay Porter, a former two-way player for the Toronto Raptors, has received an official ban from the NBA this month. The announcement shared by the league, clarified that Porter was found to have disclosed information for the purpose of sports betting, which goes against both betting rules and rules for athletes.

Porter’s case is noteworthy in that it is the first time the NBA has banned a player from these grounds since 2018, when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned.

He is, however, the 12th player that has received a sanction like this within North America’s biggest leagues, in the time since the act was overturned. Last year alone, the NFL used current guidelines to suspend 10 players.

A “Most Severe Punishment”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a public statement to explain the thinking behind the ruling, and to convey the seriousness of Porter’s violation. He said that protecting the integrity of competition in NBA matches in of the utmost importance for everyone involved in the games, and for fans.

He also called Porter’s actions a “blatant violation” of the NBA’s gaming rules, which justifies this “most severe punishment.” The rules state that players cannot bet on any NBA games, or any games that otherwise come under the umbrella of the NBA.

They also must not take part in sports betting in states where it is not legal. Which is a tricky business in the US at the moment. While more states have legalized sports betting in recent years, the activity is still not fully legal across the country. States such as Missouri are still evaluating sports betting within their borders with HB 2331.

What did Porter do?

The NBA investigated Porter’s actions and found that earlier this year in March, Porter shared “confidential” data about a game. More specifically, he told a bettor about something to do with his own health, which was expected to impact the results of that particular match.

Someone else connected to Porter placed a bet of $80,000 which ended with a payout of over $1 million. It was found that Porter acted in order to make sure the bettor won their bet, by not participating fully in the game.

Due to the nature of the bet and the payout, the bet was flagged as suspicious. It was in fact not paid out at all, while an investigation occurred.

Furthermore, Porter himself was found to have placed more than a dozen bets on NBA games, another direct violation of the guidelines for players. He tried to circumvent the rules by placing the bets in another person’s name. In this instance, Porter bet both small and large amounts, including at least one bet on his own team.

How are bets flagged as suspicious?

With the increasing popularity and availability of sports betting, especially online betting, technology has also grown to answer the need for integrity checks within sports. Programs have been designed to monitor bets and flag suspicious behavior for further investigation, as in the case with Porter’s accomplices.

DraftKings reported suspicious bets around the time of the games that Porter was involved in. Though, it has not been confirmed if they are the platform that was used in this particular case. Furthermore, Porter was a known FanDuel VIP. His account was shut down in accordance with his contract with the Raptors, when he became an official NBA player.