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The NBA sent a memo to sportsbooks on Friday urging them not to post under bets on players who are on two-way to 10-day deals starting at the beginning this season. FanDuel and DraftKings are two of the sportsbooks who have agreed to the new proposition, according to David Purdum of ESPN.
“FanDuel told ESPN that it is ‘always working with our partners to make sure the markets available adhere to their standards,'” Purdue wrote. “A DraftKings spokesperson said the sportsbook ‘is in alignment with the NBA and thankful for the opportunity to engage with them on the topic.'”
The proposition is coming to fruition at the start of this regular season after the league had discussions with sportsbooks about restricting these under bets on player props for these specific players. It comes on the heels of the Jontay Porter ban after the Toronto Raptor was banned from the league after an investigation found that he was deciding the outcomes of his props so that under bettors would win.
How Jontay Porter influenced this betting restriction
The move to restrict under bets on two-way and 10-day players is a response to the Jontay Porter incident, where Porter was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud after sportsbooks noticed suspicious activity surrounding his under betting props during multiple games last season. The NBA banned Porter from the league after an investigation found that he was tipping off bettors and checking out of games early to influence the outcomes of his props.
“An NBA investigation found in April that Porter tipped off bettors about his health and then claimed illness to exit at least one game, creating wins for anyone who had bet on him to underperform expectations,” the Associated Press wrote, per ESPN, back in July. “Porter also gambled on NBA games in which he didn't play, once betting against his own team, the league said.”
Over his career, Porter appeared in 37 NBA games for the Grizzlies and Raptors and made five starts with Toronto. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in just over 11 minutes a night. Porter is the brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., and pleaded guilty to the felony charge on July 10. He will be sentenced this winter on December 18 and could face jail time.
The Porter incident shows the darkest side of the rise of sports gambling and the partnerships that leagues have made with sportsbooks. This new restriction recommended by the NBA will now attempt to prevent another situation like Porter's in the future.
