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The NBA is restricting the player props its sportsbook partners can offer, including bets on who will score the first basket of a game and parlays built around statistical unders for players expected to see limited playing time.
The player prop prohibitions, which take effect this season, were outlined in a letter to sportsbook operators and a memo to teams, both of which were shared with Front Office Sports. The restrictions will also apply to the WNBA next season.
The changes come amid heightened scrutiny of sports betting following high-profile cases involving former Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who the league banned for life in 2024, as well as former Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Pistons forward Michael Beasley. All three have been the subjects of gambling-related federal investigations. Porter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, while Rozier and Beasley have maintained their innocence. Porter is awaiting sentencing.
The new rules prohibit individual player “first-of” markets, including bets on who will score the first points of a game or record the first rebound, assist, steal, or block. The league’s sportsbook partners also cannot offer bets on whether a player will miss his first, next, or another specific shot attempt, or which team will win the opening tip.
Additionally, the league is banning “low likelihood, high payout bets” based on statistical unders. That includes parlays with multiple under legs tied to a single player. The league is not banning all under bets.
In the memo to teams, the NBA said former NFL player Charles Tillman, a retired FBI agent, will provide “live, in-person training” on the league’s sports betting rules. “All players, coaches, and training staffs are required to attend this in-person training,” the memo said.
The league also said it has “developed an in-house, AI-based data monitoring platform” designed to detect unusual betting activity.
The NBA’s two official gaming partners, DraftKings and FanDuel, expressed support for the changes. So did some of its “authorized gaming operators,” like Fanatics and Caesars. Some already do not offer the player props the league is banning.
A DraftKings spokesperson told FOS the NBA’s guidance “formalizes many of the market restrictions already reflected in DraftKings Sportsbook’s practices.”
“DraftKings supports the NBA’s efforts and is committed to continued collaboration with the league to maintain game integrity, including through appropriate limits on betting markets,” it added.
A FanDuel spokesperson said the legal sports betting industry is built on “dialogue and collaboration” with league partners and states, adding that the company remains committed to rooting out abuses that undermine fair competition and game integrity. Fanatics called itself a “true partner with the NBA on the important issues of integrity and compliance.”
“We are committed to working with the NBA on the thoughtful enhancements to their betting rules and policies,” a spokesperson told FOS.
A representative for Caesars told FOS, “Of course we are complying,” noting the company “always” complies and collaborates with the NBA and other leagues it partners with.
What About Prediction Markets?
The new rules relate only to traditional sportsbook partners, not prediction markets, a source familiar with the matter tells FOS. The league has not entered into any agreements with prediction-market platforms but has been weighing whether to do business with the industry since before last season.
In September, sources told FOS that discussions between the NBA and platforms including Kalshi and Polymarket had advanced significantly, and there were “deal terms on the table.” Agreements remain close, but there are still hangups.
One sticking point is how much control the NBA would have over the markets offered by prediction-market platforms, according to an industry executive familiar with the discussions. The league also wants access to company data to help detect potential integrity issues. “This is the big quagmire,” the executive said. “The NBA wants control.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently confirmed as much. “Whether it’s called a prediction market, whether it’s sports betting, it’s the same issues for our league and I think for all the leagues, there’s issues around integrity first and foremost,” he told CNBC earlier this month. “We want access to that data. We also want control of the market.”
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