Congress Asks NBA Commissioner to Explain Widening Gambling Investigation

US lawmakers have asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to update them on the escalating gambling scandal that has shaken the league and sparked fresh worries about professional basketball’s integrity.

Congress Seeks NBA Accountability Amid Federal Gambling Investigations

This request comes after the well-known arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and ex-player and coach Damon Jones. These arrests link to two federal gambling probes announced just days ago.

In a letter signed by both parties and sent on Friday, six House Committee on Energy and Commerce members asked Silver to meet with them by October 31 to address what they called troubling allegations of illegal betting and potential game manipulation. The committee, which oversees issues related to consumer protection and sports, said it plans to look into whether current rules are enough to stop misconduct tied to the growing sports betting industry.

Lawmakers asked for specifics on how the NBA protects confidential data, its internal rules, and steps to prevent the misuse of insider information for gambling. They also pushed Silver to explain whether the league will review its deals with big betting companies like DraftKings and FanDuel after recent events.

The letter also mentioned past scandals such as referee Tim Donaghy‘s case in 2007 and the probe into former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter in 2024, as proof that betting-related wrongdoing continues to plague the league.

NBA Commissioner Urges Federal Rules on Sports Betting After Player Arrests

Silver showing up on Amazon Prime Video for a live show Friday night, said the allegations left him “troubled” and gave him “a pit in his stomach” when he heard about the arrests. Earlier that week, he told The Pat McAfee Show he backed tougher control of sports betting, saying he would prefer nationwide rules instead of the current mix of state-level laws. He also said the league had already asked some of its partners to cut back on certain types of prop bets to limit chances for cheating.

The House committee’s investigation comes after unsealed federal indictments accused several people, including NBA staff, of sharing private information and taking part in organized betting plots. In one case, Rozier exited a game claiming an injury, to affect a bet his accomplice had placed.

As the league faces growing questions, Congress seems ready to look again at wider issues about how professional sports and legal gambling can work together without damaging public faith. How Silver responds will shape how both the NBA and federal overseers deal with making sure games stay fair and honest.