Denver (KDVR) – The NBA has issued a lifetime ban on Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter following an investigation revealing that he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and placed bets on games, including betting on the Raptors to lose.
Porter becomes the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules, the first being former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014. Silver labeled Porter’s actions as “blatant” and emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of NBA competition.
The investigation was triggered by reports from licensed sports betting operators and a betting monitoring organization regarding unusual betting activity surrounding Porter’s performance in a game against Sacramento on March 20. The NBA found evidence suggesting that Porter shared information about his health status with a bettor before the game and that an NBA bettor placed an $80,000 bet on Porter failing to meet certain performance targets set in parlays through an online sportsbook. This bet would have yielded $1.1 million if successful.
Porter exited the game after less than three minutes, citing illness, and none of his stats matched the totals set in the parlay. The $80,000 bet was not paid out, and an investigation was launched shortly after.
The league also discovered that Porter, the brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using someone else’s betting account, amounting to a total wager of $54,094 and generating winnings of $21,965.
These bets did not involve games in which Porter played, but three of them were multi-game parlays, including one where he bet on the Raptors to lose, all of which ended in losses.
Porter, aged 24, played 26 games for the Raptors, averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, with five starts. He also played 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-21 season.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the NBA has indicated its intention to cooperate with federal prosecutors. Colorado gaming regulators are also conducting their own investigation into Porter’s activities.
According to reports, Porter allegedly placed over 1,000 bets totaling millions of dollars from 2021 to 2023, using a VIP account with the sportsbook FanDuel registered in Colorado. The NBA prohibits players and employees from engaging in any form of wagering, although wagering on other sports is not explicitly prohibited.