The NBA is introducing new restrictions on sports betting markets following several high-profile gambling scandals that have raised concerns about the league’s integrity.
The league has reached an agreement with major sportsbook operators, including DraftKings and FanDuel, to prohibit certain wagers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and David Purdum.
The restrictions include parlays combining multiple under bets on the same player’s statistics, wagers on opening tip winners and bets involving players missing specific shots.
Sportsbooks will also be prohibited from offering under bets on players projected to play fewer than 12 minutes.
“The NBA’s guidance formalizes many of the market restrictions already reflected in DraftKings Sportsbook’s practices,” a DraftKings spokesperson said.
“DraftKings supports the NBA’s efforts and is committed to continued collaboration with the league to maintain game integrity, including through appropriate limits on betting markets. DraftKings’ Code of Responsible Engagement is fully aligned with the league’s stance on the harassment of athletes, coaches or officials.”
The changes follow federal gambling investigations involving former NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter.
Rozier was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering following allegations that he shared confidential information about an early exit from a March 2023 game.
The information allegedly allowed bettors to place more than $200,000 in wagers on his statistical unders. Rozier pleaded not guilty in December.
Porter, meanwhile, received a lifetime NBA ban in 2024 after admitting to deliberately leaving games early to benefit bettors.
One suspicious $80,000 parlay involving Porter’s statistical unders could have returned approximately $1.1 million before the wager was frozen.
NBA executive vice president Scott Kaufman-Ross acknowledged that both cases influenced the league’s decision to introduce tighter restrictions.
“Seeing where we may have had issues in the past is one of the inputs to determining the types of things that we think could be problematic,” Kaufman-Ross said, according to ESPN.
The NBA is also reportedly introducing additional education measures, with former NFL defensive back and FBI employee Charles “Peanut” Tillman set to lead in-person training sessions on gambling regulations.
The restrictions represent the league’s latest effort to reduce opportunities for betting manipulation while protecting the integrity of NBA competition.
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