Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter plead guilty in federal court this week to conspiracy charges for his role in a betting scandal that could have wide-ranging implications for the regulated sports betting industry.
In a New York courtroom, Porter stood in front of Judge James R. Cho during his arraignment hearing and entered a guilty plea. The 24-year-old, who has admitted to having a severe gambling addiction, pulled himself out of a game on March 20 after only a few minutes of play claiming an injury. Porter was not injured that night and was acting on behalf of four co-conspirators who had taken out an $80,000 prop bet on his play that night, which would have paid out $1 million.
Their plan missed out on the fact that the NBA, like every other professional sports league, uses an integrity monitoring system to sniff out exactly this kind of unusual wager. DraftKings, where the bet was placed, informed the NBA almost immediately and the scheme was exposed. Shortly thereafter, Porter was permanently banned from the NBA, giving up a position that paid $410,000 annually.
During the hearing, Porter faced the music saying, “I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry.” Porter’s remorse has also led him to cooperate with prosecutors in cases against four, unnamed co-conspirators, according to Legal Sports Report.
This particular scandal may wind up having a larger impact in the US sports betting industry as it has energized lawmakers who want to see individual player props banned entirely.
Porter could be facing as many as four years in prison at his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for December 18.