Jontay Porter was permanently barred from the NBA this season due to breaking its rules on gambling
Jontay Porter, a former player for the Toronto Raptors, faces serious legal trouble in the U.S. due to his involvement in a sports betting scandal that has permanently barred him from the NBA, as reported by The Associated Press.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have officially named Porter in a criminal case, indicating imminent charges. Concurrently, Canadian authorities have initiated their own investigation into Porter’s actions. According to a spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, Porter is expected to plead guilty to these charges on July 10, as confirmed by The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov.
While the specific felony charge has not been detailed in the report, it is tied to an ongoing case involving four individuals charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to Porter’s betting activities. These four men have yet to enter their pleas.
In a separate development, the NBA conducted its own investigation into Porter’s conduct and concluded that he deliberately underperformed in two games earlier in the season to influence bets placed on his games. The league revealed that Porter disclosed confidential health information to an individual known to be an NBA bettor before one of these games. Additionally, while traveling with both the Raptors and their G League affiliate, Porter allegedly placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using another person’s betting account, ranging from small amounts to as much as $22,000. None of these bets were placed on games in which he participated, but he did wager on the Raptors themselves.
Consequently, the NBA issued a lifetime ban against Porter.
Last month, Porter’s legal representative acknowledged that his client had been struggling with a gambling addiction and was now cooperating fully with the ongoing investigations while actively seeking treatment.
Jontay Porter, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets standout Michael Porter Jr., had been in his rookie season with the Raptors under a two-way contract. He played a total of 26 games for the team before the suspension was imposed.
