NBA restricts parlay bets, ‘first of’ markets for sportsbook partners

The National Basketball Association (NBA) issued a memo to its authorized sports betting partners to restrict wagers included within parlays and “first of” markets such as the winner of the opening tip and players to miss specific shots. 

NBA EVP Scott Kaufman-Ross stated there is a “balance between ensuring that we are removing problematic bet types” while not shifting such activity into the illegal market. 

"And where we landed right now, we think, is the right balance of those two objectives,” Kaufman-Ross said. 

Authorized betting partners of the NBA include DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as Fanatics Sportsbook, BetMGM, bet365, Caesars Sportsbook, Hard Rock Bet and BallyBet. 

The NBA maintains the authority to restrict wagers offered by its sports betting partners through its respective agreements with each entity and confirmed that the new changes were motivated by the recent betting scandals involving Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter. 

Sportsbooks will also be restricted from offering under bets for players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes in a specific game and other betting markets the league considers “problematic,” according to the memo. 

In response to its recent betting scandals, the professional basketball league had previously issued restrictions on wagers involving 10-day or two-way contract players, player props for turnovers and bets related to fouls or missed free throws. 

Former NFL player and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman will oversee an in-person training session on the league's sports betting rules, while the NBA also plans to enhance its in-house AI-based data monitoring platform. 

As recently as October 15, three of the five remaining defendants in a federal gambling case involving former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis were expected to plead guilty to their respective offenses. 

The defendants were charged in June over an alleged scheme involving wagers on Beasley’s individual performance while he played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023–24 season.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also called for access to prediction market data to help identify potential insider trading and protect the league’s integrity, as Silver believes such activity raises many of the same integrity concerns as traditional sports betting.