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Read Full BioThe NBA has sent a memo to all teams detailing policy changes aimed at addressing tanking, increasing the frequency of injury reporting, and restricting certain prop bets that sportsbooks can offer.
The proposed policy changes follow the betting scandal that has rocked the sport, leading to the arrests of Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former LA Lakers coach Damon Jones.
In addition to tanking, injury reporting, and prop bets, the league plans to upgrade its education program on gambling. The new measures seek to protect players, coaches, and team personnel from harassment from sports bettors and enhance the league’s ability to investigate unusual betting activity.
The proposals come as the league continues to investigate the betting scandal. Last month, it requested that teams share documents and phone records in a bid to uncover the extent of the scandal.
Proposed Policy Changes
In the memo, the league laid out its new proposals. For injury reporting, teams will be required to resubmit injury reports on game days between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time, except for the second of back-to-back games.
Public injury reports on NBA.com will also be updated every 15 minutes, instead of every hour, to reduce the opportunity for bettors to profit from late injury information.
ESPN reported that the new policies have not been finalized, and the league has requested input from teams before making any definitive changes. The memo stated, “This review remains ongoing and we will continue to solicit input from relevant team stakeholders as this work proceeds.”
In addition to the changes in injury reporting, the league is proposing limits on prop betting, including:
- Maximum bet limits on props
- Limits on specific bet types such as “unders”
- Reduction in the number of players offered on prop menus
- Elimination of problematic wagers, such as bets decided by a single play
This follows the MLB negotiating with sportsbooks to introduce a maximum stake limit of $200 on micro bets, such as wagering on the next pitch. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine led the campaign to limit micro bets and agreed to a stake limit rather than an outright ban as he had originally requested.
The NBA is also considering modifying draft pick protections and draft lottery rules to prevent teams from intentionally losing games to improve their draft position. Finally, it plans to enhance its education and monitoring to protect players and the integrity of the league.
New Rules Can Combat Insider Info
The new rules surrounding injury reporting aim to reduce the opportunity for insiders to provide information to bettors. In the recent betting scandal, Jones, in particular, is accused of using his position as a coach of the Lakers to feed details about injured players to bettors.
He allegedly shared information that an unnamed player, rumored to be LeBron James, would sit out a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. LeBron did not play, and the Lakers lost.
In another case, he said another unnamed player would have limited minutes in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that case, Anthony Davis, who was listed as probable, played in the game and helped the Lakers to victory, leading bets on Oklahoma to lose.
Rozier has also been accused of telling gamblers that he would exit a game early when playing for the Charlotte Hornets. He exited the game, which led to wagers on his “unders” winning. Jones and Rozier have both pleaded not guilty in the case, with a trial expected to begin next year.
