US Congress And NBA Players Press The League To Review Betting Policies

According to a league letter acquired by ESPN, the NBA is examining its integrity and information-sharing protocols in the wake of the charges that linked current players, coaches, and former league employees to a federal gambling investigation last week.

The league is "reviewing policies regarding injury reporting, training and education of all personnel, and enhancing internal and external monitoring programs to identify betting activity of concern," according to the memo that was distributed Monday to all 30 teams.

Several NBA-affiliated individuals were named in the federal indictments, which prosecutors characterized as "insider trading in professional basketball." These individuals included former Cavaliers assistant coach Damon Jones, Heat guard Terry Rozier, and Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.

The instances have raised fresh concerns about the NBA's links with bookmakers, the effectiveness of its internal controls, and the protections for injury disclosures.

NBA betting regulations are being examined.

League officials admitted in the email that they had discovered unusual betting on Rozier's player props during a Hornets vs. Pelicans game in March 2023 "in real time because the bets were placed legally," but they also stated that the incident made clear the need for more robust controls.

The evaluation will cover data sharing with integrity partners and sportsbooks, employee training on betting regulations, and injury disclosure.

In addition, the NBA announced that it would reevaluate third-party access to players and staff, a matter that has already come under increased attention following disclosures that non-team employees had acquired injury data used for wagering.

In a bipartisan letter to Commissioner Adam Silver on Friday, six members of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce asked for a briefing on the league's response to "allegations of illegal gambling and sports rigging" by the end of the week.

The committee, which monitors consumer protection and sports, sought for details on:

Measures "to limit the disclosure of non-public information for illegal purposes" that the NBA has adopted.

If the league's code of conduct successfully discourages wrongdoing related to gambling.

If the NBA, including its official partners DraftKings and FanDuel, is "reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies."

Along with citing earlier committee investigations into doping, athlete safety, and the 2007 case of referee Tim Donaghy, who was imprisoned for betting on games he officiated, the letter also asked for clarification on possible "gaps in existing regulations that allow for fraudulent betting activity."

According to National Basketball Players Association vice president Jaylen Brown, a forward for the Boston Celtics, the NBA must do more to shield players from the negative impacts of widespread sports betting.

Before a game against the Knicks on Friday, Brown stated at Madison Square Garden, "When people have money involved, it creates a negative discourse around the game and players." "It's causing situations that we could prevent with more dialogue at this time."

According to Brown, the union and the league have not had "enough conversation" about reducing the hazards to player safety and mental health that come with gambling exposure. Even though Rozier, his former colleague from the Celtics, is "not conducive of that character," he said, the situation highlights the necessity for more robust preventative measures.