Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors has been permanently suspended by the NBA for violating the league's gambling regulations.
The NBA released a statement Wednesday announcing and explaining the ruling.
“The league's investigation revealed that Porter violated league rules, including disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, restricting his participation in one or more games for gambling purposes, and betting on NBA games. It was found that there was a violation.” A statement was read.
According to an NBA investigation, Porter intentionally limited his participation in the Raptors' March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, specifically to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance. It turned out that Against the Nets, Porter claimed he felt sick after playing just three minutes.
The NBA also revealed that Porter disclosed confidential information about his health to “someone he knew to be an NBA bettor” before the game. Another person connected to Porter also bet that Porter would underperform his March 20 performance as part of an $80,000 parlay placed by bettors at an online sportsbook.
We have others, too. From January to March 2024, Porter bet on NBA games at least 13 times using someone else's betting account while traveling with the Raptors and the Raptors' G League team. These bets ranged from $15 to $22,000, for a total of $54,094. The total payout from these bets was $76,059 for him, and his winnings were $21,965. None of the bets included games in which Porter would play, but he bet on the Raptors to lose as part of his three different parlays. All three bets lost.
Porter, 24, has not played since March 25, when the NBA began investigating him for gambling fraud. The Raptors took him out of the lineup before that night's game against the Brooklyn Nets, and he hasn't been seen again since.
Adam Silver hints at Porter's possible suspension
On April 10, one week before the NBA announced Porter's suspension, Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN's Tim Bontemps that Porter's suspension was on the table.
“It gives me a wide range of discipline,” Silver said at a midtown Manhattan hotel after the league's annual board meeting. “But what he is accused of in the NBA is a cardinal sin, and the ultimate and extreme option I have is to banish him from the game.
“That's the level of authority I have here, because I don't think there's anything more serious in terms of gambling in this league, and that's betting on our games. It is a direct involvement of the player, so the investigation is ongoing, but the consequences could be very serious.”
Legal sports betting is increasing in the United States, and incidents of professional athletes gambling on sports are also increasing. The NFL has suspended numerous players over the past two years for gambling. However, complete bans are rare. Porter will be remembered along with former MLB player Pete Rose, who was suspended for gambling.
