The case surrounding NBA professional Jontay Porter, who was involved in far-reaching betting manipulation, made headlines in the spring of this year. It quickly became clear that the matter was not closed with the lifetime ban of the Toronto Raptors' bench player. There was a network of several backers, of whom the one who made the tips has now pleaded guilty. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Following the controversy, major US betting providers have cancelled certain odds on potentially influential players.

Jontay Porter, who was under contract as a part-time player for the Toronto Raptors, is the central figure in a sensational betting scandal in the world's most important basketball league. On 26 January and 20 March 2024, he deliberately allowed himself to be substituted early in order to make so-called ‘under’ bets by his accomplices successful. This type of bet involves placing a bet on an outcome that remains below a certain limit set by the bookie - in this case Porter's playing time. With targeted actions, Porter provided the criminal network with supposedly secure profits.

The motive for his actions: massive personal debts that the NBA player wanted to pay off through the fraudulent activities.

Several men were involved in the fraud: Among them Mahmud Mollah, who now admitted his guilt in a New York court at the end of October. Mollah was the mastermind who placed the tips. If successful, these would have brought winnings of over one million US dollars (around 920,850 euros). Former poker pro Long Phi Pham and Jontay Porter himself had also previously pleaded guilty. They are still awaiting sentencing. Mollah has also yet to be sentenced (date: 25 May 2025). He faces up to 20 years in prison, probably the most severe sentence of the group! Porter has already been banned for life by the NBA and faces further consequences.

In our first article on the Porter case in July of this year, we surmised that not too much would change with regard to problematic betting options in the USA. In fact, comparatively easy to influence event bets (prop bets), such as those that the group around Jontay Porter wanted to take advantage of, were not completely banned. However, leading NBA betting partners such as BetMGM (BetMGM has arrived in Europe, by the way), DraftKings and FanDuel have announced that they will no longer provide prop bet odds on low-earning players. This move is aimed at protecting potentially vulnerable athletes from the pressure of financial temptation and thus supporting the integrity of the sport.

Further judgements in December 2024 and April 2025

The legal investigation into the NBA betting scandal is taking shape, with further judgements scheduled for December 2024 and April 2025.

1. Jontay Porter is due to appear in court on 18 December:

  • Federal prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of 41 to 51 months.
  • In addition, Porter faces fines and fees in excess of $450,000.
  • Since his arrest, he has been released on $250,000 bail, which was posted by his wife and mother.

2. Long Phi Pham is also awaiting trial, which is scheduled for 25 April 2025. Pham is the only one of the men who had attempted to evade prosecution. He was arrested at New York's JFK airport in June 2024 when he tried to flee to Australia on a one-way ticket:

  • According to court documents, when he was arrested he was carrying 92,000 US dollars in cash and bank cheques, as well as three mobile phones and betting slips.
  • According to legal experts, these escape plans and the evidence he was carrying are likely to have a negative impact on his sentence.
  • Bail for Pham was set at 750,000 dollars.

Other people involved in the network are also coming under greater scrutiny.

3. Ammar Awawdeh and Timothy McCormack, who are alleged to have urged Porter to carry out the manipulative gambling activities, have not yet been sentenced. According to court documents, Awawdeh is said to have suggested to Porter that he carry out so-called ‘specials’ - meaning the deliberate abandonment of a game in order to make ‘under’ bets a sure thing.

  • An incriminating text message that Awawdeh allegedly sent to Porter sheds a disturbing light on the dynamic between the parties involved. In it, Awawdeh is said to have threatened the NBA pro on a massive scale.
  • Porter's alleged reply shows the pressure he was under: ‘If I don't make a “special” under your terms, then it's over. And if I don't bring you $8,000 by Friday, you're coming to Toronto to beat me up.’

The revelations about the entanglements and the nature of the threats emphasise the complexity of the case. While Porter and Pham await their sentences, it remains to be seen how the justice system will deal with the others involved. The evidence so far paints a grim picture of the mechanisms behind the scandal.

Also of interest: The University of Bristol, in collaboration with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, conducted a study that revealed stark figures on gambling advertising during NHL and NBA broadcasts.

Conclusion

The betting scandal surrounding Jontay Porter and his accomplices will have drastic consequences for everyone involved. Porter himself faces a prison sentence of up to 51 months and a fine of over 450,000 US dollars. His sentence in December 2024 is likely to serve as a signal of the seriousness with which the American judiciary is taking action against betting manipulation.

Long Phi Pham, who was caught on the run with incriminating evidence, can expect even harsher sanctions in April 2025. His betting offence, combined with the attempt to evade prosecution, could result in imprisonment of up to ten years under US law. A heavy fine cannot be ruled out in his case either.

Mahmud Mollah, the main mastermind behind the placement of the bets, faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Awawdeh and McCormack are likely to face similarly severe sentences. If the court considers their role as initiators of the manipulation and their threats against Porter to be serious, it is quite realistic that they will spend many years in prison. Threats and coercion in connection with betting fraud are severely penalised in the USA, especially when the integrity of professional sport is also at stake.

This case is not only a lesson in personal misconduct, but also a wake-up call for the sports and betting industry in the USA to make greater efforts towards prevention and control in niche areas. The measures announced by the NBA betting partners to restrict odds on at-risk players are an important first step towards preventing similar scandals in the future.

Following controversies surrounding betting on amateur football matches, including several suspected cases of betting manipulation in Germany, Interwetten recently took a similar step by cancelling odds on the German regional and top leagues.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/basketball-ball-nba-sport-sports-199360/

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