Sportsbooks to Prohibit Under Props for NBA Players on Short-Term Contracts

Five U.S. sportsbooks on Friday said they would not be offering under prop bets on NBA players who are on two-way or 10-day contracts. This decision was made in efforts to curb attempts at manipulation.

Sportsbooks BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, and FanDuel cut under bets for NBA players on two-way, 10-day deals

BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN BET, and FanDuel all confirmed that they planned to comply with the prop betting restrictions.

“We are pleased that these actions have been taken to help protect the integrity of our games,” an NBA spokesperson told ESPN.

According to ESPN’s David Purdum, the restriction is a result of discussions the NBA had with sportsbooks over the summer, following the league’s investigation and permanent ban of former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter.

Porter, 24, was banned from the league for divulging confidential information to bettors and placing bets on games while playing in the G League. He placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account.

Porter was on a two-way contract with the Raptors

Furthermore, Porter was on a two-way contract with the Raptors at the time. He exited a Jan. 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings after playing just a few minutes.

On July 10, Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In fact, the Missouri product is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 18 in New York.

Two-way contracts are given to players who go back and forth between the G League and the NBA. Ten-day contracts allow teams to add players for up to 10 days or three games.

Additionally, one bettor had placed an $80,000 same-game parlay bet that featured unders on Porter’s statistics and won $1.1 million. Porter played three minutes before leaving the game with an illness.

FanDuel told Purdum that it is “always working with our partners to [ensure] the markets adhere to their standards.” DraftKings “is in alignment with the NBA and thankful for the opportunity” to help the league as well.

Sportsbooks flagged suspicious betting patterns on the under on Porter’s statistics in games in January and March.