More Details Are Released Around Jontay Porter Betting Scandal

The Jontay Porter scandal just keeps getting worse.

Details were released this week showed the Porter’s scandal is more than we originally believed. When he took himself out of games early to secure under bets on his stats, he was doing so to cover quickly growing gambling debts. This revelation led to the arrest of Long Phi Pham, who apparently orchestrated the scheme.

Reports allege that Pham and others were a part of a Telegram chat where they discussed their plan. Pham had been accepting bets from Porter and was the one that suggested the NBA player leave two games early with an injury. While Porter showed concern over the risks involved, he would eventually agree and instruct all members of the chat to delete all discussion from their devices.

While we knew Porter intentionally took himself out of games to win bets, having illegal bookies involve elevates the case to a whole new level. That is bad news for the sports betting industry as they continue to fight increased regulations. These kinds of schemes were a big concern when as the list of legal sports betting states has grown over the years.

The Porter details are also bad news for the NBA, who has tried to move on from the scandal. With more players in the scandal identified, it could lead to connections with other players, throwing the legitimacy of the product into question with fans.

The news around Porter came just a day after the MLB handed down its first lifetime ban for sports betting since Pete Rose. Former Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano received the ban after it was discovered he was betting on baseball, including games involving his own team. It was the first sports betting ban since Pete Rose and the first for an active player in 100 years.

Both of these betting scandals come as states and the federal government consider increased regulations for the sports betting industry. The list of pro and college players who are illegally betting is growing quickly and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

The biggest concern for leagues and the sports betting industry is the perception that they cannot ensure fair competition. Each of these betting scandals, including Porter's, was only discovered after making a critical mistake. However, many of them were placing bets long before they were caught. Had Porter and Pham not made such an egregious mistake, the former NBA player could have continued betting.

With each major scandal involving a bad decision leading to detection, many are left wondering how other, more clever athletes could bet without being detected. Each player who is caught gives others a playbook for how to avoid detection, making it harder to control.

Even if betting sites can get better and faster at detecting illegal betting, Porter’s case is one of many involving the use of illegal bookies. There is no way to regulate the underground industry, making it increasingly difficult to prevent.