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The NBA is tightening its sports betting rules, prohibiting several wager types as the league looks to address betting-integrity concerns following a series of high-profile scandals.
The NBA and several prominent sportsbooks have agreed to prohibit multiple types of wagers ahead of the 2026-27 season, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania and sports betting reporter David Purdum.
The restrictions target specific player prop bets and other markets that could create opportunities for manipulation. The league has been in active communication with major gaming companies as it looks to strengthen safeguards around NBA games and protect the integrity of the sport.
Which NBA Bets Are Now Prohibited?
According to reporting from ESPN and the Associated Press, the NBA has directed its authorized sportsbook partners to eliminate several types of wagers.
The prohibited bets include:
- Parlays combining multiple unders on the same player: Bettors can no longer combine multiple statistical under bets on one player into a single parlay.
- “First-of” betting markets: Wagers on the winner of the opening tip, a player’s first basket, first three-pointer, first rebound, first assist, first steal or other specific early-game outcomes are among the restricted markets.
- Unders on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes: Sportsbooks will no longer offer under bets on players projected to receive extremely limited playing time.
These changes reduce the availability of certain player-specific wagers that could be vulnerable to manipulation, particularly when a player’s playing time or individual statistical performance can substantially affect the outcome of a bet.
Previous Betting Restrictions Remain in Place
The latest changes build on restrictions the NBA previously introduced in cooperation with sportsbook partners.
Those restrictions include wagers involving players on 10-day or two-way contracts, player props on turnovers, bets related to fouls, and wagers involving missed free throws.
Together, these measures reflect the league’s effort to limit betting markets involving individual actions or statistics that could be more susceptible to manipulation than traditional game outcomes.
Recent Betting Scandals Put Integrity Under the Microscope
The NBA’s latest move comes after several high-profile gambling investigations raised concerns about the relationship between professional basketball and sports betting.
Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to a federal wire-fraud conspiracy charge in 2024 after admitting to manipulating his participation in games to benefit bettors. The NBA subsequently banned him from the league.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has also faced federal allegations connected to a sports betting investigation. Rozier has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Those cases have intensified scrutiny of player prop betting, particularly wagers tied to an individual player’s statistics and playing time.
The league’s challenge is to preserve the availability of legal sports betting while reducing opportunities for misconduct and protecting players from threats or harassment related to gambling losses.
What This Means for NBA Fans and Bettors
The new restrictions mean bettors will have fewer options when building certain NBA player prop parlays or wagering on specific events within a game.
Traditional markets, including point spreads, moneylines and many standard player performance props, are not eliminated by these particular restrictions. However, the available markets may vary by sportsbook and jurisdiction.
The changes also highlight the growing tension between the popularity of sports betting and the responsibility leagues have to maintain public confidence in the fairness of their competitions.
As the 2026-27 NBA season approaches, the effectiveness of these restrictions will be closely watched by the league, sportsbooks and basketball fans.
