NBA memo urges deeper scrutiny of gambling threats
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The NBA is re-evaluating its approach to legal sports wagering after two high-profile gambling indictments, warning teams that betting poses “dire risks” to players’ careers and the league’s integrity, according to an internal memorandum obtained by ESPN.
The document, distributed to all 30 franchises on Monday, comes four days after veteran guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were charged in separate federal gambling cases involving sports betting and poker. Both were placed on leave by the league last week.
The NBA said it is reviewing policies on injury reporting, education programs for all personnel, and safeguards against bettor harassment. The memo also signals possible limits on proposition wagers tied to individual performance, calling such bets a heightened integrity concern that require “additional scrutiny.”
Federal prosecutors allege Rozier conspired with a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, to profit from prop bets on a March 23, 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. Prosecutors say Rozier informed Laster he would exit early; Laster then sold the non-public information for roughly $100,000. Sportsbooks in several states noted heavy action on the unders for Rozier’s statistical lines and ultimately halted betting before tip-off. Rozier left after a little more than nine minutes, citing a foot injury.
Billups, in a separate indictment, is accused of joining rigged poker games allegedly linked to organized crime.
To bolster oversight, the league said it is looking to expand integrity monitoring by using artificial intelligence to combine data from betting operators, social media, and other sources to flag suspicious activity.
“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,” the memo states.
Source: ESPN
