The NBA bans prop bets across several player statistics and game events under new restrictions introduced for the 2026-27 season, as the league moves to address concerns about betting-related manipulation following high-profile gambling investigations. Announced in a memo distributed to authorized sportsbook partners on October 16, the measures prohibit certain wagers considered vulnerable to manipulation. The restrictions apply to major operators, including DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as other authorized betting partners.
Under the new rules, sportsbooks cannot offer parlays combining multiple under bets on the same player’s statistics. These wagers allow bettors to combine predictions that a player will finish below specified thresholds in categories such as points, rebounds and assists. The NBA bans prop bets on several additional markets, including wagers on which player will record the first basket, 3-pointer, rebound, assist, steal or block of a game. Bets on the winner of the opening tip and whether a player will miss a particular shot attempt are also prohibited.
Another restriction covers under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes in a game. The league is also limiting alternate under lines that could offer increased payouts on similar statistical outcomes. The changes follow investigations involving former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter and former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Both cases raised concerns about the potential use of confidential information concerning player participation and performance to influence betting outcomes.
Porter received a lifetime NBA ban in 2024 after an investigation found that he disclosed confidential information to a bettor and deliberately removed himself from games to influence wagers. He later admitted wrongdoing in a federal case involving sports betting. Rozier, meanwhile, has faced federal charges stemming from allegations that he provided information about his expected early departure from a March 2023 game while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Prosecutors allege that associates used the information to place wagers on his statistical performance. Rozier has pleaded not guilty.
The league’s latest measures are intended to reduce opportunities for similar schemes by removing betting markets in which an individual player’s actions can have a direct impact on the outcome. The NBA bans prop bets through agreements with its authorized sportsbook partners, which the league estimates account for more than 99% of the US sports betting market. However, the restrictions do not automatically extend to prediction market platforms that operate outside those partnerships.
Alongside the betting restrictions, the league is introducing mandatory in-person training on gambling rules for players, coaches and team personnel. It is also expanding monitoring systems designed to identify suspicious wagering activity and strengthening measures to protect players from harassment and threats related to betting.
The new rules will extend to WNBA games beginning in 2027. The league has indicated that its approach will continue to evolve as betting products and potential integrity risks change. The measures represent a further effort to protect competition integrity while maintaining the availability of regulated sports wagering. The NBA bans prop bets in selected categories rather than eliminating player proposition betting altogether, allowing other markets to remain available under existing rules.