Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been permanently banned from the NBA following allegations he engaged in illegal betting on basketball games.
Porter, 24, "violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games," the NBA announced Wednesday.
According to its investigation, the league discovered Porter disclosed confidential information about his health status to a bettor, prior to the March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, in which the Raptors lost. The bettor wagered $80,000 that the center and power forward would "underperform" in the game, for a $1.1 million payout. Porter played for only three minutes before removing himself because he "felt ill," the NBA said.
"Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player," the bet was frozen.
Porter also illegally bet on 13 NBA games under someone else, resulting in a profit of over $20,000, the league said.
"There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter's blatant violations of our game rules are being met with the most severe punishment," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, addressing Porter's ban.
"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," he said. "Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game."
Raptors President Masai Ujiri claimed the team was blindsided by the outcome of the investigation.
"You don't want this for the kid, you don't want this for our team and we don't want this for our league, that's for sure," Ujiri told reporters Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "My first reaction is obviously surprise, because none of us, I don't think anybody, saw this coming."
The investigation remains ongoing and the league will continue to share it's findings with federal prosecutors, it said.
