The NBA issued a lifetime ban to Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter on Wednesday for violating league gambling rules. After an investigation, the league found Porter guilty of "disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games."
The 24-year-old Porter, who is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., went undrafted in 2019 and made his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021. After spending time with multiple G League teams, he inked a two-way deal with the Raptors in December 2023 and made 26 appearances with the team this season. He last played on March 22, and was inactive for the remainder of the season after ESPN reported on March 25 that the league was looking into gambling irregularities.
"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 stated in a press release.
"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."
The league's report concluded that prior to the Raptors' game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20, Porter "disclosed confidential information about his own health status" to someone he knew was a bettor. Another bettor then wagered $80,000 on a parlay bet that would have won $1.1 million if Porter hit the under on his player props. Porter subsequently removed himself from that game after less than three minutes due to illness.
Due to the unusual activity, the bet was frozen and never paid out. Licensed sports betting operators brought the suspicious bets to the NBA's attention, which sparked the league's investigation.
Over the last few weeks, the league also found that Porter "placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate's online betting account" from January through March of 2024. All told, Porter wagered $54,094 and received a payout of $76,059, resulting in a net winnings of $21,965.
None of those bets involved games in which Porter was playing. However, three of them involved the Raptors in multi-game parlay bets, including one in which Porter picked the Raptors to lose. Of the latter three wagers, none were successful.
The NBA's investigation remains open and may result in future findings. Furthermore, the league has shared its findings with federal prosecutors.
