NBA Proposes Faster Injury Reports and Stricter Prop-Bet Controls
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The NBA is weighing a series of policy changes designed to curb the misuse of inside information and discourage game manipulation, according to a league memo distributed to all 30 franchises on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
The document, reviewed by ESPN, outlines six areas under consideration: more frequent injury disclosures, limits on player-specific wagers, tougher rules aimed at tanking, expanded gambling education, enhanced protection of team personnel from bettor harassment, and stronger tools for probing suspicious betting patterns.
Injury reporting every 15 minutes
Under the proposed guidelines, clubs would file game-day injury reports between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. local time and then refresh the public listing on NBA.com every 15 minutes instead of the current hourly schedule. The memo did not specify when the new timetable would be enforced.
Draft and tanking safeguards
To deter teams from losing intentionally for higher draft positioning, the league is exploring adjustments to draft-pick protections and possible tweaks to the draft-lottery format. The review follows federal allegations that a coconspirator matching Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups’ career profile told a bettor the team planned to rest key players before a March 2023 contest against the Chicago Bulls.
Tighter reins on prop bets
The NBA also intends to push sportsbooks to narrow the range and size of wagers on individual player performance. Proposals include capping bet amounts, restricting “under” wagers, reducing the number of players offered on betting menus, and eliminating markets that can be settled on a single play.
“Core to the NBA’s position is that sports leagues should have control over the types of bets offered on their games,” the memo states, noting that any changes would require cooperation from betting operators, state regulators or lawmakers.
Backdrop of federal indictments
The policy review comes after October indictments that named veteran guard Terry Rozier, Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former player-assistant coach Damon Jones among 34 individuals charged in separate sports-betting and poker schemes. Prosecutors allege Rozier and Jones supplied nonpublic injury details to gamblers, while Billups faces only poker-related accusations.
FanDuel and DraftKings serve as official gaming partners of the league, and roughly 10 additional operators hold marketing agreements with the NBA.
The memo says the league will continue gathering feedback from teams as it refines the proposals.
Source: ESPN
