Zona de Azar Brasil – Brazil: NBA Creates New Rule to Prevent Athlete Involvement with Betting

Brazil – October 23, 2024 www.zonadeazar.com The NBA has implemented a new rule to prevent cases similar to that of Jontay Porter, former Toronto Raptors player, who was banned from the league due to involvement in betting.

During his time with the Canadian team, Porter placed 13 bets while under a two-way contract, which allowed him to participate in the G-League.

To prevent situations like this, the NBA announced a strategic partnership with betting houses. From the 2024/25 season onwards, players with the lowest salaries, including those with two-way or ten-day contracts, cannot be bet on for under-performance. This decision was confirmed by the league in an official press release.

League’s stance

“The NBA is pleased with the measures taken to protect the integrity of our games,” the league stated.

Although Jontay Porter’s name was not officially mentioned, the new rule is widely considered a response to his case. At 24, he was permanently banned at the end of the last season for violating the league’s betting policy.

Investigations revealed that Porter placed 13 bets using a friend’s account, with amounts ranging between $15 and $22,000, totaling $54,094. Among these bets, three involved Raptors’ losses, but all resulted in losses.

Despite this, Porter managed a total profit of $21,965.

Other betting cases in the NBA

Porter was not the only NBA player involved in betting issues. Other athletes, such as Jack Molinas (1954), Tony Jackson and Doug Moe (1961), and Roger Brown (1966), were also banned for similar reasons. In addition, the league has punished players for other reasons, especially for illegal substance abuse.

Richard Dumas was the last player banned for this reason in 1995. OJ Mayo, punished in 2016, could have requested his return since 2018 but did not do so. In light of these incidents, Commissioner Adam Silver assured that the NBA will continue to fight illegal betting.

“While sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious activities, it also increases the need for regulation, which can cover different types of bets involving our games and players. By working closely with leading betting houses, we will continue to find ways to ensure the safety of our league and our game,” Silver said.

Porter, who had a brief stint with the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2020/21 season, received an opportunity with the Raptors last season, playing in 26 games with averages of 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in about 12 minutes per game. He is the brother of Michael Porter, a champion with the Denver Nuggets in the 2022/23 season.

Edited by: @_fonta
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