Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioAhead of the start of the new NBA season, which is set to tip off tonight, Commissioner Adam Silver paid a visit to “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he said the United States needs “more regulation” of sports betting to protect the game’s integrity and that of its players.
He took issue with the fragmented approach to legalized sports betting, which has created oversight gaps, saying, “I wish there was federal legislation rather than state by state.” While legal markets have improved visibility into betting behavior, he warned that their rapid expansion has introduced a “whole new set of issues.”
As sportsbooks shift ad spend toward the NBA and MLB, Silver added: “I think you’ve got to monitor the amount of promotion, the amount of advertising around it.”
Silver Wants Stricter Limits on Prop Bets & Stronger Fan Protections
According to Silver, the NBA has been working with its sportsbook partners to cut back on certain prop bets.
Prop bets are wagers on individual performance instead of the game’s outcome, such as how many points or rebounds a player gets. He says prop bets are the easiest to manipulate, especially those that involve players on two-way contracts or short-term deals.
The commissioner explained that while legalized wagering enables the league to detect irregularities, such as large first-time bets or unusual geolocation patterns, it also exposes players to new forms of harassment from bettors upset after losing a bet.
“It’s often the case that your team wins and a player scores 25 points, but the fan had bet that the player was going to score 28 or 30 or whatever else,” Silver said. “We have to protect the competitors. We want to protect the environment in the arena of people getting out of hand.”
In a copy of a memo obtained by the AP that was sent to all 30 NBA teams last week, the NBA reminded teams of the need for “consistent and vigilant enforcement of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct … to deter and address fan misconduct at NBA games and events.”
Porter Scandal Sparked New Betting Restrictions
Silver’s comments follow the league’s lifetime ban of former Toronto Raptors center/power forward Jontay Porter in 2024 after an investigation found he had disclosed confidential information to bettors and intentionally underperformed to influence wagers.
The scandal prompted the NBA to ask sportsbook operators to remove “under” markets for players on two-way or 10-day contracts to combat the manipulation of smaller prop bets.
In January 2025, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was first linked to another high-profile federal betting probe after reports surfaced that multiple wagers totaling nearly $14,000 had been placed on “under” props for his performance in a 2023 game.
More recently, Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley (formerly with the Milwaukee Bucks) became the target of a federal investigation for gambling-related activity due to prop-bet issues during the 2023–2024 season.
While the league hasn’t meted out punishments in either of the latter two cases, the ongoing federal investigations are just two examples of the challenges the league is facing as it works to strengthen oversight, safeguard competition, and maintain confidence in the game as legal betting continues to grow.
