NBA, sportsbooks weigh limits on wagers most prone to manipulation
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The NBA and its partner sportsbooks are evaluating which bets are easiest to rig and how much money gamblers should be allowed to stake on them, according to sources familiar with ongoing talks.
Sources told ESPN that, before the 2025-26 season began, the league flagged wagers on missed free throws, personal fouls and turnovers as especially vulnerable and asked operators to remove those markets. FanDuel confirmed it already avoided such bets, while DraftKings said it honored the league’s request after previously offering in-game props on made or missed free throws.
Focus on player props
The review also covers betting limits. Sportsbooks traditionally cap player prop wagers far below game-level bets such as point spreads.
“Prop bets on individual player performance can raise heightened integrity concerns and warrant additional scrutiny,” an NBA spokesperson said, adding that the league will keep working with operators to reassess offerings.
Player props have come under sharper focus since federal prosecutors accused veteran guard Terry Rozier of conspiring with gamblers over his statistical unders. Investigators say Rozier alerted a childhood friend that he would exit a March 2023 game early; the friend allegedly sold the tip for about $100,000.
Sportsbooks reported heavy action on Rozier unders that day and pulled the markets hours before tip-off. Rozier logged just over nine minutes before departing with a foot injury. According to the indictment, bettors placed $257,700 on Rozier unders across multiple books, including 30 separate bets totaling $13,759 at a Mississippi location that morning.
Operator responses
DraftKings said the case shows industry safeguards are working. “Recent events demonstrate that the regulated sports betting industry is working as intended,” the company said in a statement, citing collaboration among operators, leagues, regulators and law enforcement.
FanDuel noted it maintains an “open dialogue” with the NBA and has already pulled props involving fouls, turnovers, missed free throws and, more recently, players on two-way or 10-day contracts.
Those restrictions followed the lifetime ban of former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter, who admitted he intentionally underperformed in two 2023-24 games so associates could cash unders on his props. Some of the bettors in the Porter probe also appear in last week’s Rozier indictment.
Debate over broader bans
While partner sportsbooks often comply with league requests, the NBA has limited leverage over daily fantasy operators, prediction markets and offshore sites.
The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents major U.S. books, warned that sweeping prohibitions on player props could push customers to illicit sites “that lack oversight, offer no consumer protections and refuse to cooperate with integrity investigations,” SBA president Jeremy Kudon said.
Player prop wagering continues to grow rapidly—especially in the NBA—and is a popular component of parlay bets that promise higher payouts.
Source: ESPN
