NBA bans Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter for gambling violations

Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter has been banned by the NBA following a league investigation that uncovered his involvement in disclosing confidential information to sports bettors and placing wagers on games.

The NBA, in a statement released on Wednesday, disclosed that Porter shared confidential details about his health status with an individual known to be an NBA bettor ahead of a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20.

Subsequently, another individual, also identified as an NBA bettor, placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet through an online sportsbook, aiming to win $1.1 million by betting that Porter would underperform in the aforementioned game.

Porter, who played merely three minutes against Sacramento, cited feeling ill. However, the suspicious betting activity and Porter's actions led to the freezing of the bet, preventing its payout.

Concerns about the unusual bets during the March 20 game were raised by licensed sports betting operators and a legal betting market monitoring organization, prompting the NBA's attention.

Furthermore, the NBA revealed that Porter, the sibling of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., placed at least 13 bets on NBA games between January and March while traveling with the Raptors or their G League affiliate.

These bets varied in size from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,904. Porter's total winnings from these bets amounted to $21,965, with none of the wagers involving games in which he participated.

Three of the wagers placed by Porter were multi-game parlay bets, including one on a Raptors game, where he bet that Toronto would lose.

“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. 

"While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game."

Porter's actions were found to be in violation of the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players' union, which strictly prohibits players from wagering money or anything of value on games or events within the association.

This marks the first instance of the NBA suspending a player for violating gambling regulations since the overturn of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018. Porter joins a list of 12 players sanctioned by major North American sports leagues since 2018. Notably, last summer, the NFL suspended 10 players, while the NHL suspended one in 2023.

NBA did not disclose the identity of the operator with which Porter placed his bets. However, DraftKings reported suspicious activity on at least two bets made in January and March. Additionally, it was previously reported that Porter was a VIP member of FanDuel, although his account was closed upon signing with the Raptors.