North America’s National Basketball League has banned Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter for life for breaches of the competition’s gambling rules.
An NBA investigation found that Porter disclosed confidential health information to an associate who he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another associate subsequently placed a $80,000 bet on Porter – to return $1.1m – to underperform in a game on March 20.
However, the $80,000 bet was frozen and not paid out after the league’s investigation found that Porter limited his own game participation to three minutes in that game, claiming that he felt ill, with the aim of influencing the bet.
The NBA said Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s betting account, resulting in net winnings of $21,965.
These bets ranged in size from $15 to $22,000 for a total of $54,094. None of the bets involved games in which Porter played and all three bets lost.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with the sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment.”
The bets involving Porter's performance in the March 20 game were raised by licensed sports betting operators and organisations that monitor legal betting markets, the NBA said.
Silver added that the case "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."
The Ohio Casino Control Commission is among the US state regulators to have banned player prop bets on college-student athletes, endorsing a reques from the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
