Could Jontay Porter Scandal Lead To Bans On Player Props Or Shift In Same Game Parlays?

The NBA’s lifetime ban on Jontay Porter may have ripple effects after he violated league sports betting rules. Porter was found to have been placing NBA wagers on an associate’s account while also giving insider information to NBA bettors to exploit his own player props. The Porter scandal has everyone in the industry talking and is the first of its kind in professional basketball.

Could regulators or the league call for a ban on player props, as some states are doing with player props in college sports?

Adam Silver Questions Player Props Following Jontay Porter Scandal

In the NBA press release regarding the Porter scandal, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement. One part of his statement stands out as he alludes to player props being an issue that legislators should look at.

“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players,” said Adam Silver.

While Silver didn’t mention player props specifically, mentioning the sufficiency of the types of bets offered, in a case directly involving player props, does show what he is likely thinking. The Porter investigation uncovered an $80,000 same game parlay combining several Porter under bets on his player props. Silver is not the only league head who has mentioned the same idea.

NCAA President Charlie Baker called for a nationwide ban on college player props. Player props on collegiate games are banned in most markets. Baker is looking for it to be banned on a federal scale for all sportsbooks. His call has been considered as well, with markets like Louisiana banning college player props in response.

Difference Between Banning College Player Props Vs. Professional Player Props

It is no surprise that the NCAA would see support from regulators for a college sports ban. When PASPA was initially implemented in 1992 (the federal ban on sports betting), a major reason behind it was protecting the integrity of the game.

Even in a world with NIL deals that allow college athletes to make money, most college athletes are just regular student-athletes. These students are the most vulnerable to being influenced to partake in point-shaving activities. There is a reason why many markets that have launched sports betting have restrictions or outright bans on college sports.

The idea is that the likelihood of these scandals happening in professional leagues is less.

However, results have shown that this way of thinking was simply wrong. Since PASPA was repealed in 2018 and states have been able to launch local sports betting markets, several scandals have occurred at both the collegiate and professional levels.

The Jontay Porter case is the most prominent case, and it took place in a pro league. Porter’s career earnings as a professional athlete surpass $2.39 million. Suppose even a multimillionaire athlete is vulnerable to being swayed into violating the gambling rules to this degree. What is the argument that a ban on player props at the professional level is out of the question?

Will A Ban Happen?

It is not likely that a ban will occur. A point-shaving scandal to this degree would have to occur multiple times for it to be considered. The NBA’s swift response showcases that systems are in place to prevent and deter this in the future.

That’s not to say there isn’t already precedent for a ban, however. For a brief period, Ontario and Alberta, Canada, issued a ban on UFC betting. This was due to a sports betting scandal related to James Krause. The UFC is a professional league, and lawmakers were still quick to ban sportsbooks from offering odds.

If scandals like the Jontay Porter sports betting one become more common, bettors could see a change to what is offered with player prop wagering.

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