NBA Orders Sportsbooks to Remove Certain Bets for 2026-27 Season

Key Highlights

The NBA is getting more defensive about low-stat player props, ordering sportsbook partners to block select wagers.

NBA Targets High-Risk Bets & Player Props

The 2026-27 NBA regular season tips off on Tuesday with several notable changes, including star players on new teams, a regular season game in England, and a revamped draft lottery system to deter tanking. For bettors, the availability of certain prop bets will also be restricted. Following a series of federal cases involving alleged attempts to manipulate player performances last season, the league has ordered FanDuel and DraftKings to remove player prop bets that can be easily manipulated.

Those who use NBA betting sites may no longer be able to wager on markets tied to players recording unusually low statistics. The NBA is also targeting wagers on the opening tip-off, specific missed shots, and low-scoring bench players who are expected to get limited playing time. These markets can depend on a single moment or a small number of actions rather than a game’s final score.

For fans placing bets on NBA matchups, the restrictions mean fewer choices in certain player and game markets. The changes are focused on particular wagers, not a blanket ban on betting on NBA games. The goal is to reduce opportunities for someone to influence an outcome that could generate a large payout.

Federal Betting Cases & NBA Investigations

The NBA can require changes from partner sportsbooks through its agreements with those companies. According to the league, those partners represent more than 99% of the sports betting market in the United States, giving the restrictions a wide reach across regulated betting apps. The change comes amid growing concern surrounding player props across all sports; in June, the MLBPA proposed banning all player prop markets.

The NBA’s ban on select player props follows federal cases involving 34 people, including players and coaches. The most prominent case centers on former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, who admitted in court that he left games early to help bettors profit from wagers on his performance during the 2023-24 season.

Prosecutors described an $80,000 parlay placed on Porter’s under bets during a March 2024 game against Sacramento. The wager could have paid $1.1 million after Porter exited the game just three minutes into play. His early departure made the bets tied to low statistical totals especially significant.

Former NBA players Terry Rozier, Malik Beasley, and Ed Davis have faced federal charges in separate alleged sports betting schemes involving insider information and the manipulation of player performance. Rozier left a March 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans after roughly nine minutes. Questions were raised after a professional bettor placed more than $13,000 on 30 separate under wagers involving Rozier, all of which paid out as winners.

NBA Balances Betting Integrity & Legal Sportsbooks

NBA executive Scott Kaufman-Ross said the league is trying to remove problematic bets without pushing customers toward illegal gambling operators. That concern shapes the decision to target specific betting markets instead of trying to eliminate entire categories of legal sports wagering.

Kaufman-Ross described the affected wagers as bets with a low chance of winning but a potentially large payout. By limiting those markets, the NBA hopes to address the risks highlighted by the federal cases while keeping other betting choices available through its sportsbook partners. The league’s partners have reportedly been receptive to the new rules.

“The legalized sports betting industry is built on a foundation of dialogue and collaboration with our league partners and the states in which we operate,” a FanDuel spokesperson told ESPN. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to building a legal and regulated market that roots out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and damage the integrity of the games we love.”