Indiana Pacers—or more accurately, NBA—player **Jontay Porter** was suspended **for life from the NBA** (and associated leagues) after an investigation revealed he had both **bet on NBA games** and **shared confidential information** with bettors. Specifically, during the 2023–24 season with the Toronto Raptors, Porter disclosed details about his own health status to a known sports bettor and then **took himself out of a game** so that the bettor’s massive \$80,000 parlay (“under”) wager would hit—an unusual and suspicious occurrence ([en.wikipedia.org][1]).
The NBA also found that between January and March 2024, Porter placed **13 separate bets** on NBA games using another person’s account, totaling around **\$54,000** wagered and **\$22,000** in winnings—some of which involved bets that the Raptors would lose ([en.wikipedia.org][1]). Commissioner Adam Silver described this behavior as a “cardinal sin” and imposed the NBA’s **strictest penalty**, effectively **ending Porter’s NBA career** ([ibj.com][2]).
This marked the **first time an active NBA player** was banned permanently for gambling since Jack Molinas was banned in 1954—and there is now no path to reinstatement ([cbssports.com][3]). Legal proceedings are ongoing, including federal wire-fraud charges related to the incident.
Porter’s case is a stark reminder of how severely the NBA treats gambling violations—and the league is reconsidering certain betting options (like player prop “unders”) for two-way players to curb future incidents ([en.wikipedia.org][1], [africa.espn.com][4]).
