Some Wagers, Certain Parlays No Longer Can Be Offered to Bettors, NBA Tells Sportsbooks

The NBA told sportsbooks on Friday that they will not be permitted to offer certain types of wagering this season, including which players record the first stat of a game, the outcome of the opening tip and taking the "under" involving players not expected to play more than a few minutes.

Additionally, the league told its teams that all players, coaches and training staffs will be required to attend "live, in-person training on the league's sports betting rules" starting this season. Copies of the memos sent to sportsbooks and teams were obtained by The Associated Press.

ESPN first reported on the league's new policies.

The league cited examples of now-banned "first-of" markets such as those related to players "scoring the first basket, 3-pointer, rebound, assist, steal, or block, as well as wagers on if a player will miss "their first shot attempt, next shot attempt, or any attempt within a specified amount or period of game time."

Also banned: the ability for bettors to have multiple "under" wagers involving a player as part of a parlay.

The new rules, which will be applied to WNBA games starting in 2027 as well, come after the NBA had already restricted some other types of prop bets, including certain offerings involving players on 10-day or two-way contracts, wagers on turnovers or fouls, and bets on missed free throws.

Friday's memos came nearly one full year after the league was rocked by betting scandals, ones that led to the arrests of now-former Portland coach Chauncey Billups, now-former Miami guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard Damon Jones for their alleged involvement in sprawling gambling operations that authorities said leaked inside information about NBA players and rigged poker games backed by Mafia families.

Rozier was arrested because federal officials alleged he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in 2024.

The league also told its teams Friday that a new, AI-based data monitoring platform has been developed "that is designed to detect and investigate unusual betting activity involving NBA games or events" by analyzing injury reports, social media and wagering patterns. Similar technology has been in use by the NBA and sportsbooks for some time.

Further, the league — after countless complaints by players and coaches — said it has upgraded the protections that NBA teams will have "from harassment or threats by sports bettors." Players will now be able to opt-in to programs that can identify and delete harassment or threats on social media, and the league is also updating its fan code of conduct to further underscore how betting-related harassment is prohibited.