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- NBA writes to all 30 teams to outline plans
- AI will look to detect inside information
- League has several official betting partners
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is conducting a review of its betting arrangements following the launch of a federal investigation into illegal gambling activity that has seen the arrest of an active player and coach.
According to CNBC, the NBA has written to executives at all 30 teams about plans to protect the integrity of the league amid rising concerns about match-fixing and the impact of gambling on players.
Specifically, the NBA will examine ‘proposition bets’ which allow bettors to wager on the statistical performance of players, as well as how injuries are reported publicly. It will use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect whether punters have access to inside information.
Bookmakers and their data providers already use data analytics to detect unusual betting patterns, while the NBA has already asked its partners to remove proposition bets from its lowest-paid players in the belief they would be the most susceptible to corruption.
‘We have also begun a process of reviewing league policies regarding injury reporting, the training and education of all NBA personnel, and safety measures for NBA players,’ the letter reportedly read.
‘With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors.’
Miami Heat star Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former player Damon Jones were all arrested last week for alleged betting offences as part of a wider FBI probe in the US.
While playing for the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023, Rozier is alleged to have informed friends of a plan to leave the game early due to injury. Prosecutors say those friends placed significant wagers on Rozier’s statistical underperformance, achieving profits of tens of thousands of dollars when he left the court after nine minutes.
Meanwhile, in the same month, Billups is accused of telling a friend that he planned to lose a game against the Chicago Bulls so the Trail Blazers would have a better chance of securing a higher pick in the NBA Draft. The friend then bet US$100,000 on a Bulls victory.
Both Rozier and Billups deny any wrongdoing, and have been placed on leave by the NBA.
SportsPro says…
Betting is now so firmly entrenched in the US sports industry thanks to broadcast integrations, commercial partnerships and the vernacular of sports fans, that it’s hard to believe that it was illegal in most states just seven years ago.
The liberalisation of betting legislation back in 2018 opened up the world’s largest economy, and the planet’s biggest and most influential sports market to bookmakers.
This unleashed a period of explosive growth which saw vast sums spent on marketing, technology and acquisitions as established global brands and young native upstarts sought to popularise the idea of sports betting and maximise signups through generous promotions and exciting new products.
Real time odds are now featured in live sports broadcasts, while some have even created dedicated betting feeds. AI is also being used to create even more markets and ways for fans to bet.
Betting has proved to be a valuable source of new revenue and a potentially profitable form of enhanced engagement for rights holders. The NBA has benefited handsomely, agreeing a US$1 billion data and live game video deal with Sportradar in 2021 and signing up the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics as official betting partners.
But this unconstrained enthusiasm has come at a cost.
There is growing awareness of the social harm of gambling, college athletes and other sports stars have reported abuse from angry bettors, and there is constant concern that some might be tempted to profit themselves through illicit means.
It’s all very well that sports leagues are stepping up measures to combat illegal activity and ban players who break rules or federal laws. But many properties would do well to reflect on the betting culture that they have helped created and their role in perpetuating the darker side of this phenomenon.
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