The NBA and its players’ union have united in support of limiting the type of prop bets sportsbooks can accept on NBA games.
Representatives for the league and NBPA are sounding out the prospect of restricting prop betting with sports betting apps, which allows players to wager on points totals and other personal statistics for individual players in games.
The game of professional basketball is currently enduring somewhat of a gambling pandemic with repeated scandals popping up since sports betting was legalised seven years ago.
Last year, former two-way Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was banned for life from the NBA after a probe discovered he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games himself.
In June, it was revealed former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley is under investigation by federal authorities on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is in a similar situation, under federal investigation after suspicious betting patterns were detected on his player props. A professional bettor placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes on his stats totalling nearly $14,000 which all ended up winning.
Prop Bet Limitations Should Be Given Consideration, NBA Spokesperson Says
A spokesperson for the league said: “Protecting the integrity of our game is paramount, and we believe reasonable limitations on certain prop bets should be given due consideration.
“Any approach should aim to reduce the risk of performance manipulation while ensuring that fans who wish to place prop bets can continue to do so via legal, regulated markets.”
The union are open to creating more limitations around prop betting if it helps diminish the amount of abuse that players receive due to betting.
This has been a prominent issue in recent times, especially in the world of tennis. In June the WTA and ITF demanded that betting companies combat the gambling-driven abuse of players.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
