Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter receives lifetime ban from NBA for violating betting rules

Jontay Porter, a Toronto Raptors two-way player, was suspended from the NBA for life on Wednesday after a league investigation discovered he leaked sensitive information to sports bets and gambled on games, including betting on the Raptors to lose. 

Jontay Porter is the second individual banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for breaking league rules. The other was Donald Sterling, the now-former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, shortly after Silver began office in 2014. In announcing the statement, Silver described Porter's behavior as "blatant."

According to News18 Andam Silver said, “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."

The league launched the inquiry after learning from "licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets" about anomalous gambling patterns around Porter's performance in a March 20 game versus Sacramento.

The league decided that Porter provided better knowledge regarding his physical situation before the game and that another individual known to be an NBA betting made a $80,000 bet through an online sports book that Porter would not meet the figures established for him in parlays. That bet would have netted $1.1 million.

Jontay Porter uses friend accounts to place bets

Using a friend's internet account, Porter allegedly wagered $54,000 on 13 NBA games between January and March of 2024. Porter did not participate in any games. Regulations from the league state that NBA players are not permitted to bet on NBA games.

Porter allegedly bet $54,000 on 13 NBA games between January and March 2024, using a friend's internet account. Porter did not play in any of the games. NBA players are not authorised to gamble on NBA games, per league regulations. Porter, 24, averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 games, including five starts. He also participated in 11 games for Memphis during the 2020-2021 season.

ESPN first revealed the investigation, which centred on Porter's performance in games on January 26 and March 20. Porter only played a few minutes every game before exiting due to injury or illness. Porter played 4 minutes and 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening game, followed by 2:43.