The NBA is moving to tighten restrictions on prop bets after a string of gambling scandals shook the league over the past year. With three players caught in a federal gambling investigation and one, Jontay Porter, permanently banned by commissioner Adam Silver, both the league and the NBPA now agree that some limits must be put in place.
The focus is on curbing bets that invite manipulation and reducing harassment directed toward players from frustrated gamblers. This marks one of the strongest stances the NBA has taken since legal sports betting became a major part of the sports landscape in the United States.
The flashpoint came in April 2024, when Silver dropped the hammer on Porter after an investigation revealed he had manipulated his play in two games while on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.
Porter later pled guilty to federal conspiracy charges, admitting he intentionally pulled himself from games to cash in for associates who had bet on his unders. It was a dark moment for a league that has embraced gambling partnerships, underscoring the risks of micro-level wagers tied to individual player stats.
In the aftermath, the NBA directed sportsbooks to halt unders on two-way players like Porter, but that was only a first step.
Now, league officials and the NBPA are pushing for broader protections. An NBA spokesperson told ESPN:
“Protecting the integrity of our game is paramount, and we believe reasonable limitations on certain prop bets should be given due consideration. Any approach should aim to reduce the risk of performance manipulation while ensuring that fans who wish to place prop bets can continue to do so via legal, regulated markets.”
The NBPA, while stressing that Porter’s case was an outlier, has shifted its focus to player safety. Athletes, according to the union, have been inundated with online harassment and even in-person confrontations tied to prop bets.
The union has voiced support for measures that would lessen those pressures, even if it means fewer betting markets for fans.
The issue is not confined to the NBA. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine called for a ban on microbets after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers became the subject of MLB investigations tied to wagers on specific pitches.
In New Jersey, Assembly member Dan Hutchison introduced a bill to outlaw microbets altogether, citing concerns about corrupting youth and undermining sports integrity. Those moves signal a broader reckoning across American sports, where leagues are weighing the financial windfall from sportsbook partnerships against the risks of fixing, abuse, and eroding fan trust.
For now, the NBA finds itself at the center of that balancing act. Stars like Terry Rozier and Malik Beasley, though not charged, have been linked to the same federal inquiry that brought down Porter, raising concerns about the depth of the problem.
The league insists that widespread manipulation has not taken root, but with sports betting markets ballooning each season, Silver and the NBPA are determined to take no chances.
The coming months could see new rules rolled out, both at the league and state levels, to restrict the types of props available, particularly those that hinge on narrow, easily influenced outcomes. Whether fans embrace or push back against those changes will be telling.
The NBA has long marketed itself as forward-thinking when it comes to embracing the gambling industry, but as scandals pile up, it may be forced to pull back in the name of protecting both its athletes and its credibility.
At its heart, the crackdown reflects a sobering reality: sports betting can no longer be treated as harmless background noise. For the NBA, the Porter case served as a wake-up call. And now, with both the league and its players aligned, the message is clear—prop bets that endanger integrity or open players up to abuse will no longer be tolerated.
