Following a gambling scandal that’s rocked the NBA, the league is taking a comprehensive look at its policies, prop player betting, and detection methods.
Key Takeaways
- An NBA memo to all 30 teams outlined several areas the league is looking into regarding betting issues.
- Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested and charged in a gambling case last week.
- This is the second time an NBA player has been federally investigated for game manipulation.
In a memo recently sent to all 30 teams and obtained by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday, the NBA said it would review injury reporting, the training and education of all league personnel, and safety measures for players.
“Given the spread of legal betting to the majority of U.S. states, the recurrence of integrity issues across sports, and the emergence of novel betting formats and markets, this is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players, and their fans,” the NBA stated in the memo.
The NBA's memo to teams on Monday, obtained by ESPN: https://t.co/jYSrpKV9GK pic.twitter.com/NpP5FEcIJL
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 27, 2025
Increasing scrutiny
This review comes days after Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was indicted by federal authorities for wire fraud after he allegedly took part in a game manipulation scheme that netted him and a childhood friend $100,000 from a sportsbook. Rozier is accused of leaving a game early so his under props would hit, helping several co-conspirators cash numerous legal bets.
“While the unusual betting on Terry Rozier's ‘unders’ in the March 2023 game was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues,” the league said. “In particular, proposition bets on individual player performance involve heightened integrity concerns and require additional scrutiny.”
Educational effort
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was also arrested on Thursday and charged for his alleged involvement in rigged poker games with ties to the mob across the U.S. Damon Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach, was charged by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigation, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and New York law enforcement in both cases.
The NBA must make “every effort” to make all individuals employed by the league and its teams “fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods,” reads the memo.
The league said it’s also going over its injury disclosure rules and making sure players are protected from harassment from sports bettors.
Improving monitoring utilization
The other area of concern in the memo stems from integrity monitoring.
“We also are exploring ways to enhance our existing internal and external integrity monitoring programs to better utilize AI and other tools to synthesize all available data from betting operators, social media, and other sources to identify betting activity of concern,” the memo stated.
The game involving Rozier that’s in question was flagged by sports betting operators. When he played with Charlotte in 2023, unusual betting activity occurred on his unders before the contest against New Orleans. Rozier exited the game early with a “supposed” injury.
The NBA investigated the matter and cleared Rozier.
Manipulation issue
Rozier, though, became part of a massive federal investigation that also included the Jontay Porter case. The former Toronto Raptor pleaded guilty in July 2024 to wire fraud charges after he helped a group of bettors win on two games he left early last season. Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA.
Some of those co-conspirators charged in Porter’s case also allegedly placed bets on Rozier in that March 2023 game. Since the Porter scandal, the NBA has taken a closer look at player prop betting.
The league was able to get sportsbooks to stop offering props on players with 10-day contracts. The NBA has also been working with operators to limit other prop bets.
“Protecting the integrity of our game is paramount, and we believe reasonable limitations on certain prop bets should be given due consideration,” an NBA spokesperson told ESPN in September. “Any approach should aim to reduce the risk of performance manipulation while ensuring that fans who wish to place prop bets can continue to do so via legal, regulated markets.”
