The NBA has decided to implement stricter policies on coaches’ and players’ use of cell phones and social media posts during their basketball games this season.
Top sportsbooks may be impacted by the NBA’s updated policies on cell phone and social media usage, which are designed to protect the integrity of the game and prevent insider information from affecting betting outcomes.
The Integrity of the Game
A league is only as legitimate as the people who participate, officiate, and run it, which is why anything that could harm its reputation or cause the public to lose trust in the product is dealt with harshly. An athlete who is caught using performance-enhancing drugs or is embroiled in any legal issues short of murder will face less severe penalties than those who have been found guilty of gambling on the league.
Naturally, the athlete could begin compromising his performance to win a wager for himself or others, which would call into question the integrity of the league. This could then result in a loss of trust among its fans, and once the league’s reputation is compromised, it will be a swift descent for its future as people will no longer have faith in the product, which will spell the beginning of the end.
It was in April of this year that we saw the wrath of the league come down mercilessly on Toronto Raptors’ forward Jontay Porter when the league’s investigation found Porter guilty of “disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”
This led to a lifetime ban and cost Porter his NBA career. In July, Porter pleaded guilty to a single count of wire fraud conspiracy and was released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York stated, “Estimated sentencing guidelines are 41-51 months; max sentence for wire fraud conspiracy is 20 years.”
Stricter Policy in 2025
It is for this reason that the penalties for gambling are so severe and why the NBA instituted “minimal” guidelines for players, coaches, and team officials for cell phones and social media usage dating as far back as 2009.
But now the league has tightened those guidelines and will be implementing them at the beginning of this year. The updated policy states that players and coaches will be prohibited from using their phones from tipoff until the final buzzer, signaling the end of the game.
Each team will have a designated point of contact who will field calls or messages to players and coaches during the game and, in case of emergency, will put the player or coach in touch with the appropriate party.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented on the importance of integrity and cited the Jontay Porter case in his statement.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams, and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment. “While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game,” said Silver.
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