The NBA instructed its authorized sportsbook partners in a Friday memo to ban specific prop bets and parlays following recent federal gambling cases involving Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter, aiming to curb integrity risks while avoiding driving bettors into illegal markets.
The league distributed a directive to its authorized gaming operators—including major brands DraftKings and FanDuel—prohibiting parlays that group under
prop bets on a single player’s statistics. Authorized sportsbooks account for roughly 99% of the U.S. betting market, according to league estimates.
Betting Restrictions Imposed by League Directive
The newly prohibited markets target categories that federal investigations and league probes identified in recent wagering scandals. Sportsbooks are barred from offering lines on the winner of a game’s opening tip-off, player props for missing specific shots, and under bets on players expected to log fewer than 12 minutes of playing time. Following recent gambling controversies, ESPN’s David Purdum and Shams Charania reported that the NBA instructed its betting collaborators to ban or limit specific wagering options. According to Kaufman-Ross, the evaluation leading up to these restrictions encompassed the broader betting environment, incorporating prediction markets.
League agreements with partner operators grant the authority to restrict offered wagers. DraftKings noted that the updated guidance aligns with its existing practices.
Federal Gambling Probes Involving Jontay Porter and Terry Rozier
The restrictions stem directly from high-profile federal cases. Prosecutors detailed an instance where a bettor placed an $80,000 parlay on six statistical categories for Porter that would have yielded approximately $1.1 million before the bet was frozen and wasn’t paid out, the league announced in April 2024.
Federal investigators also scrutinized Terry Rozier regarding a March 2023 game with the Charlotte Hornets where he exited after playing a mere nine minutes and change due to a foot injury. Federal authorities claim that individuals used a comparable strategy a year prior regarding multi-leg bets centered on the under for Rozier’s performance during a March 2023 matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Charlotte Hornets, which supposedly resulted in allied gamblers placing stakes exceeding $200,000. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Kaufman-Ross noted that the incidents involving Porter and Rozier played a role in the choice to outlaw these wagers, which the memo characterized as low likelihood, high payout bets
.
There’s a balance between ensuring that we are removing problematic bet types but also ensuring that we don’t just move activity into the illegal market.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA executive vice president
And where we landed right now, we think, is the right balance of those two objectives,
Kaufman-Ross added. When placing an “under” prop bet on an individual athlete, a gambler is betting that the competitor will fail to reach designated statistical minimums across metrics such as rebounds, points, or assists.
New Integrity Safeguards and Compliance Training
Alongside the sportsbook directives, a separate memo issued to league clubs outlined expanded security measures for the season, with former NFL star and retired FBI agent Charles “Peanut” Tillman leading in-person training on sports betting rules. Additionally, the league is deploying enhanced artificial intelligence tools to monitor unusual wagering patterns.
The document explained that the association hopes to safeguard athletes, coaches, and staff more effectively against abuse and threats originating from gamblers.
