Jontay Porter, a forward for the Toronto Raptors, has been permanently banned from the NBA for violating the league’s rules on gambling.
The league started an investigation into Porter in late March due to “multiple instances of betting irregularities.”
The NBA has determined that the 24-year-old shared confidential information with bettors, manipulated his performance in games to impact bets, and placed bets on NBA games while in the G League.
The investigation into Porter is ongoing, and the NBA is working with federal authorities, as stated in a release announcing the ban.
“Protecting the integrity of NBA competition is of utmost importance to us, which is why we are imposing the harshest punishment on Jontay Porter for his clear violations of our rules,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated on Wednesday.
Michael Porter Junior’s younger brother placed 13 bets on NBA games from January to March, ranging from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,094. He did not participate in any of these games but used an associate’s online betting account to place the bets.
This information was traced using IP addresses, location services, messages, and phone records.
The total payout from these bets was $76,059, with a net profit of $21,965.
Additionally, Porter disclosed health information to a known sports bettor before a game on March 20, leading to an $80,000 same-game parlay bet that was eventually frozen due to suspicions.
During games on March 20 and January 26, Porter left early due to illness or injury. The NBA discovered that he purposefully limited his game participation to influence bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game.
The Raptors support the league’s decision to ban Porter and are grateful for the swift resolution. They will continue to collaborate with ongoing investigations.
