Jontay Porter Banned by the NBA after Gambling Probe

Amid allegations against Jontay Porter, the Toronto Raptors center, for participation in gambling activities, Adam Silver, NBA’s commissioner, announced earlier this month that the player may be subject to the toughest penalty the league can impose, a permanent ban. This was the case considering that the allegations against the professional basketball player are proven to be true.

In the latest development on the betting scandal, the NBA officially confirmed it decided to permanently ban Porter due to breaches of its rules related to gambling. Confirmation about the harsh penalty against Porter came Wednesday, with the NBPA confirming that it remains dedicated to supporting all 450 current NBA players “both as individual players and as a collective.”

Still, the League said that it is imperative for all NBA players to adhere to its policies regarding gambling that seek to ensure integrity and protect the future of basketball. The League’s statement explained: “The NBPA will make sure Jontay has access to the resources he needs during this time, in light of the NBA’s decision. All players, including Jontay, should be afforded appropriate due process and opportunity to answer to any charges brought against them.”

“Today, the NBA permanently disqualified Jontay Porter for violating league gambling rules,“

reads a statement released by the NBPA

NBA Investigation Sheds Light on the Player’s Betting Activities

The permanent ban comes after an investigation into Porter’s gambling activities. A recent media report, citing unnamed sources, alleged that the player used a FanDuel betting account to wager millions of dollars between 2021 and 2023. Allegedly, Porter placed more than 1,000 bets on sports with the sportsbook, but there was no indication of wagers on basketball.

However, an investigation of the NBA reveals that the Raptors center shared a tip with a sports bettor ahead of his team’s game with the Sacramento Kings on March 20. After this tip, a third person, who talked with the same individual who was tipped by porter, placed a parlay bet on the aforementioned game.

The wager was $80,000 and predicted in the game against the Kings, Porter would not perform well. Once the game against the Kings came, the Raptors center left after only a few minutes. As a result, the bettor who wagered $80,000 won his bet, resulting in a staggering $1.1 million payday. To their surprise, the bet was considered suspicious and was not paid out.

Further investigation uncovered that Porter allegedly used another person’s betting account to wager basketball games. He didn’t place bets on games he played himself but did place parlay bets on the Raptors to lose. In total, Porter spent approximately $54,000 on those wagers, bringing him close to $22,000 in winnings, the investigation claimed.