The NBA and NBPA are exploring tighter restrictions on prop bets to maintain the league’s integrity.
The NBA and its players’ union are exploring further restrictions on prop bets, the type of wager that allows fans to bet on individual player statistics in a game.
The move comes amid growing concerns over potential performance manipulation and harassment of players.
“Protecting the integrity of our game is paramount, and we believe reasonable limitations on certain prop bets should be given due consideration,” an NBA spokesperson said, per The Athletic.
“Any approach should aim to reduce the risk of performance manipulation while ensuring that fans who wish to place prop bets can continue to do so via legal, regulated markets.”
Prop betting has been a contentious issue since sports gambling was legalized seven years ago. Former Raptors center Jontay Porter was banned from the league and pled guilty to a felony for manipulating his performance to help bettors win their wagers on him.
Veteran NBA players Terry Rozier and Malik Beasley are also under federal investigation related to sports betting. While the NBA’s own investigation into Rozier did not find violations of league rules, the league remains cautious.
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A spokesperson for the NBPA echoed the concern, saying the union would support more restrictions if it helped protect players from harassment.
“NBA players compete at the highest level with the utmost integrity and are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment, both online and in person,” the spokesperson said.
“If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, then we support taking a closer look at them.”
The NBA has partnerships with DraftKings and FanDuel, which help monitor betting activity.
“The transparency inherent with legalized sports betting has become a significant asset in protecting the integrity of athletic competition,” a DraftKings spokesperson said.
“Unlike the pre-legalization era, when threats were far more difficult to detect, the regulated industry now provides increased oversight and accountability that helps to identify potentially suspicious activity.”
Michael Porter Jr., brother of Jontay Porter, described the temptations players may face to manipulate performance for prop bet profits.
“Think about it, you get mad at these dudes that do the sports betting, but think about it, if you could get all your homies rich by telling them, ‘Yo, bet $10,000 on my under. This one game I’m going to act like I’ve got an injury, and I’m going to sit out,’ ” Porter said.
“I’m going to come out after three minutes. And they all get a little bag because you did it one game. That is so not OK, but some people probably think like that. They come from nothing and all their homies have nothing. They’re like, ‘Bro, if I come out of this game after three minutes and y’all hit on my under, we’re all getting a little bag.’”
He added, “The whole sports gambling entity, it’s bad and it’s only going to get worse. We really do get death threats.”
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