NBA 2K League Disqualifies Players over Betting Breaches

The esports league joint venture between Take-Two Interactive and the National Basketball League (NBA), the NBA 2K League, announced it disqualified multiple players and one coach over breaches of the gambling and fantasy rules.

Six Players and One Coach Disqualified

On Thursday, the NBA 2K League, revealed that it disqualified indefinitely players from Mavs Gaming, Jazz Gaming as well as Blazer5 Gaming. In total, the League disqualified six players. Blazer5 Gaming players who have been disqualified by the NBA 2K League include Marquis Gill, Christopher Lafanette, Dorian Earl Miller and Robert Nastasi. Kimanni Ingram from Jazz Gaming was disqualified by the League as well as Zekirri Dennis of Mavs Gaming. Andrew Maxie, Blazer5 Gaming’s coach, was also disqualified by the NBA 2K League.

“The integrity of our game is, and always will be, the NBA 2K League’s top priority. We take our obligation to the competition and to our fans incredibly seriously, and we will always act forcefully regarding violations of the rules governing game integrity and the related reporting and cooperation requirements.“

Brendan Donohue, president at the NBA 2K League

According to NBA 2K League’s president, Brendan Donohue, the integrity of the game is a constant priority for the League. Additionally, he pointed out that any breaches of the rules and regulations in terms of integrity will be addressed.

Ensuring Game Integrity Is a Priority for the NBA 2K League

According to the NBA 2K League, the recent disqualifications come after and a conducted investigation. Upon probing, the League uncovered that Lafanette, Ingram, Miller, Dennis and Nastasi either placed bets or attempted to place bets on their games, or attempted to place bets via third parties.

On the other hand, the disqualified players also breached the rules by failing to report violations and did not cooperate fully with NBA 2K League’s investigation. Similarly, Maxie and Gill breached the regulations by failing to report the breaches. Additionally, the duo failed to cooperate with the League’s investigation.

The disqualification of the League’s players comes as no surprise, considering that professional sports leagues such as the NHL, NBA and many other major leagues have banned wagering by players or coaches on their games. What’s more, betting on esports as an activity continues to expand to additional jurisdictions and safeguarding game integrity remains a key priority for involved parties. With that in mind, only recently a committee in Nevada finalized the esports expansion regulation in the state. This marked another major step forward for the esports betting market in the state.