Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been severely punished and will not play in any more NBA games.
The NBA takes a strict stance against violating the league’s rules on gambling. Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter experienced this firsthand when he was banned for life on Wednesday for, among other things, betting on NBA games.
An investigation into the case revealed that 24-year-old Porter broke the league’s rules by sharing confidential information with sports gamblers. Additionally, he has failed to play in one or more games due to gambling, and he has bet on NBA games himself, according to the NBA.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver had previously warned that such actions would be severely punished, and they have been.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of the NBA tournament for our fans, our teams, and everyone involved in the sport,” explained Adam Silver, according to Ritzau.
“Therefore, Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of the rules are met with the harshest penalty.”
According to the NBA, Porter played only three minutes for the Toronto Raptors when the team lost at home to the Sacramento Kings on March 20. He told the team that he did not feel well.
Suspect did not receive payout
Before the game, Porter had disclosed confidential information about his health to a person who bet on the NBA. Porter was aware of this, according to the NBA’s investigation.
Furthermore, another person bet $80,000 on something that required Porter to underperform. This would have resulted in a payout of $1.1 million, but the winnings were not paid out as the bet was deemed suspicious.
The NBA has also found that between January and March, Porter bet on NBA games at least 13 times using another person’s account and won $22,000. Porter is noted for playing 26 games for the Toronto Raptors this season. On average, he scored 4.4 points. His most recent game was on March 22.
