NBA bans Raptors’ Jontay Porter after wagering bet made $1.1 million
DENVER (KDVR) — The NBA banned Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., after an investigation found that Porter changed his participation in games for betting purposes.
The NBA was investigating betting issues with Porter in two games on Jan. 26 and March 20, according to ESPN. During these two games, there was an increased betting interest which turned out to be the biggest money makers for both nights.
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NBA bans Jontay Porter
On Wednesday morning, the league released a statement banning Porter from the NBA.
The NBA leveled a lifetime ban due to Porter violating league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports betters, limiting his participation in one or more games for betting purposes and betting on NBA games, according to the statement.
Part of the statement reads:
“The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.”
The investigation also found that Jontay placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s betting account. The bets surpassed $50,000 and totaled net winnings of over $20,000.
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. While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of 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.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
The investigation remains open for further findings. The NBA said that the league will share information with federal prosecutors.
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Jontay Porter reportedly made millions
The Colorado gaming regulators are also investigating Porter.
Action Network reported that Porter wagered over 1,000 bets totaling millions of dollars from 2021 to 2023. These bets were allegedly made through a VIP account with the sportsbook FanDuel that was registered in Colorado.
According to Action Network, the NBA prohibits players and employees from wagers of any kind, although wagering on other sports isn’t specifically banned.
Porter was allegedly a member of three different NBA G League teams during these potential wagering activities.
Colorado gaming regulators requested state sportsbooks to report any accounts that Porter may have operated, which needed to be submitted by Monday, according to Action Network.
Porter is still under investigation by Colorado gaming regulators.
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