New York (AFP) – The NBA told sportsbook partners in a Friday memo to ban certain types of bets and parlays this season that gamblers used in recent wagering scandals, ESPN reported. The prohibition includes a player prop parlay and bets on “under” for players that were part of federal gambling cases that included NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter, according to the report.
The league directed authorized gambling partners, including FanDuel and DraftKings, not to offer bets on such areas as the winner of a game’s opening tip-off, players on missing specific shots, and under bets for players expected to see under 12 minutes of playing time. “There’s a balance between ensuring that we are removing problematic bet types but also ensuring that we don’t just move activity into the illegal market,” NBA executive vice president Scott Kaufman-Ross told ESPN. “Where we landed right now, we think, is the right balance of those two objectives.”
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Sportsbooks will be banned from offering lines with larger payouts on under wagers. NBA agreements with sportsbook partners permit the league to restrict what wagers they offer. Federal prosecutors said one bettor wagered $80,000 on the under for six statistical categories for Porter in a Toronto Raptors game during the 2023-24 campaign for a $1.1 million payout. Porter admitted removing himself from the game to benefit bettors.
Prosecutors claim Rozier was involved in a similar situation while with Charlotte in 2023, although Rozier has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. In another memo to clubs, the NBA noted new integrity measures to begin this season, with former NFL star and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman leading training on sport betting rules and enhanced AI looking for unusual betting patterns involving the NBA. The memo said the league seeks to better protect players, coaches, and other personnel from threats or harassment from bettors.
© 2024 AFP
