Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter did not do any NBA betting in Colorado, LSR confirmed Tuesday.
The Colorado Division of Gaming had asked licensed operators whether Porter had opened any legal sportsbook accounts amid an NBA betting probe.
However, a spokesperson for the state regulator told LSR Monday that there is no active investigation into the matter at this time.
The NBA has been investigating suspicious betting activity surrounding player props involving Porter.
Report: Porter’s FanDuel VIP account
On Tuesday, The Action Network reported that Porter bet millions on a FanDuel Sportsbook VIP account in Colorado from 2021-23.
The spokesperson for the state regulator declined to comment on the report.
NBA players cannot bet on basketball but league rules stipulate they can wager on other sports.
Porter could face lifetime NBA ban
Porter could be banned for life by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, depending on the results of the league’s probe.
While the NBA investigation is ongoing, Colorado said there is no formal investigation on Porter.
The spokesperson for the state regulator told LSR that the letter to licensed operators was “simply due diligence.”
“The letter is simply due diligence on the part of the Colorado Division of Gaming, in light of the NBA’s investigation, to ensure honesty and integrity in Colorado’s gaming industry. There is no active investigation at this time,” the regulator said.
Details from Colorado letter
The Colorado Division of Gaming’s letter to licensed sportsbooks was first reported by ESPN, and later confirmed by LSR:
“ … we are requesting that you review all patron accounts thoroughly to identify if Jontay Porter has ever had an account with your sportsbook. If so, please review Mr. Porter’s account for wagering activities on NBA affiliated games.
“Note that all wagering activities by Mr. Porter on NBA affiliated games shall be reported to the Division immediately.
“… Please report all findings to the Colorado Division of Gaming, Sports Betting Team … by COB Monday, April 15, 2024.”
Silver: Betting on NBA ‘a cardinal sin’
The commissioner recently explained his possible disciplinary options in the Porter matter.
“I have an enormous range of discipline available to me,” Silver told reporters Wednesday at the league’s annual Board of Governor’s Meetings. “But it’s a cardinal sin, what he’s accused of in the NBA, and the ultimate, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game.
That’s the level of authority I have here. Because there’s nothing more serious, I think, around this league when it comes to gambling: betting on our games. And that is a direct player involvement. And so, the investigation is ongoing, but the consequences could be very severe.”
Silver wants federal betting oversight
According to ESPN, Silver said he wishes for federal oversight of sports betting, rather than an individual state-by-state approach. Nevertheless, Silver that business relationships between the teams, league and sportsbook companies may need to be re-evaluated.
“At the end of the day, there’s nothing more important than the integrity of the competition,” Silver said. “And so, any issue raised around that is of great concern to me and to all commissioners, to all people who are safeguards, who are all people who are in a position and have a responsibility to safeguard the game.
Again, this is a burgeoning industry in the United States. It’s been legal in other places in the world for decades. There’s lessons to be learned from the way that sports betting is monitored and regulated in other jurisdictions.
“And again, I think as these unfortunate examples come along, we may have to adjust our rules and our partner gaming companies and those companies that aren’t our partners may have to adjust their behavior as well.”
