Jontay Porter has been officially banned from the NBA for gambling, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday.
Per league statement: The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an… https://t.co/6oKyi0Fhty
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2024
Shortly after Woj's report, the NBA released an official statement detailing how Porter violated the league's gambling policy
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/h2TIkaE7xs
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 17, 2024
According to the league, Porter was “giving information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor.” Another bettor associated with Porter placed an $80,000 bet on him underperforming in a game on March 20 and the payout from that bet was $1.1 million.
The investigation found that in that game on March 20, Porter played only three minutes and sat out claiming he felt sick. Because of the “unusual betting activity” and Porter suddenly falling ill, the bet was void.
The league also stated that between January and March, as he was playing for the Raptors G League affiliate, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using “an associate's online betting account.” He placed wagers from $15 to $22,000, however all his bets lost.
Porter had played in 26 games this season and averaged four points and three rebounds in that time span.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter's blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver says in a statement. “While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place.”
This article was originally published on Complex.com.
