The NBA is set to revise its policy on in-game cell phone and social media use to protect “the integrity of the game” as it pertains to gambling and will convey the new guidelines to the 30 teams later this week, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“The rule revision is intended, primarily, to keep players and coaches focused on team matters during games. [This] revision also is intended to bolster the integrity of the game as it relates to gambling,” Begley wrote.
The previous rules regarding phone usage stated that players and coaches were prohibited from using their phones for posting on social media or sharing video footage with an official or media member from 45 minutes before tipoff until after media obligations were fulfilled following the game.
Each team will designate one point of communication for players and coaches during the “no cell phone” period
Those existing rules will remain in effect for the time being. However, the reported adjustment will more strictly enforce a no-phone policy for the length of games.
Per Begley, each team will designate one point of communication for players and coaches during the “no cell phone” period. This person will also serve as the point of contact for emergency calls or messages during games.
In 2009, the NBA initially prohibited players and coaches from using their cell phones and social media 45 minutes before tipoff until after postgame media obligations.
Nevertheless, the policy had been either ignored or selectively enforced in recent years. Players have been spotted with their mobile devices on the bench during games and at news conferences.
NBA banned Jontay Porter for life after an investigation found that he had placed wagers on games
In April, the NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life after an investigation revealed he divulged confidential information to bettors and placed bets on games while playing in the G League.
Players, teams, and league employees are banned from betting on NBA or any of its properties. Affiliated leagues include the G League, Summer League, and WNBA.
If sports betting is legal in their state, players and employees are allowed to bet on other sports. Fantasy basketball can be played as long as there is no cash prize.
According to the NBA’s investigation findings, one bettor had placed an $80,000 same-game parlay bet that featured Unders on Porter’s statistics and won $1.1 million.
Porter played three minutes before leaving the game with an illness. Although the bet was accepted by DraftKings, the sportsbook never paid the patron due to suspicious betting activity.
Additionally, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account. The wagers ranged from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,094.
The Missouri native waged $54,094 worth of bets from January 2024 to March 2024 while traveling with the Raptors or the team’s G League affiliate. The NBA said the total payout from those bets was $76,059, with net winnings of $21,965.