NBA Betting Scandal Worsens

By Matt Speakman,
Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

Matt Speakman Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

A die-hard fan of the Patriots, Matt Speakman is an expert on everything related to sports betting and DFS sites. Over the years, he has proven a valuable asset for our team at online-gambling.com. You can find Speakman's professional tips and tricks in any of his many articles on the website.

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Last updated: June 8, 2024

A betting scandal that’s gripped the NBA has recently worsened thanks to the arrest of two more suspects as of June 6. In total, three people believed to be involved in the scandal have been arrested and one has managed to escape arrest for now. News about the case has been shared periodically by the US Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York.

Jontay Porter’s case continues

The scandal, of course, is the one surrounding former professional player Jontay Porter. Porter received a ban from NBA commissioner Adam Silver in April of this year and is the only NBA player ever to have been permanently banned due to a betting charge. This is why, though Porter was not named directly, it is easy enough to read between the lines of the information announced by the US Attorney’s office.

Two suspects, Mahmud Mullah and Timothy McCormack have been questioned by federal investigators and now have been released on $50,000 bond. The complaints against them state that they allegedly bet on games connected to a banner NBA player.

Though Porter’s name does not appear, he must clearly be the player referred to. The games in question are exactly those that Porter made sure to miss, under dubious circumstances, in order to rig results, thus resulting in his ultimate ban.

Three arrests made

Mullah and McCormack are two of the people that allegedly benefitted from Porter’s acquaintance. Porter gave them insider information about Raptors games while he played for the team. He was also found to have bet on games himself, in direct violation of NBA rules.

A third arrest was made earlier in the same week when Long Phi Pham was found at JFK airport. Pham had been attempting to leave the country for Australia in a somewhat obvious escape plan to avoid arrest.

Though this arrest can be considered a small victory for the legal system, a fourth person has eluded arrest so far. Federal agents are reportedly still on the hunt for this suspect, who is thought to have also directly benefited from colluding with Porter and betting based on insider information.

Betting amounts made public

Information is now available about the amounts that the various suspects might have made based on information that Porter provided to them. On January 26, McCormack is accused of making a bet for $7,000, resulting in a profit of $33,250.

On March 20, the same suspect may have made a bet of $8,000, with a profit of $36,000.

On the other hand, Mollah is believed to have cashed in considerably on Porter’s information, betting five times on the March 20 game with winnings of more than $1 million. However, this is hardly the biggest sports betting scandal in sporting history.

DraftKings and FanDuel complicit?

The bets were supposedly made using DraftKings and FanDuel, which are both considered above-board and official sportsbooks of the NBA. However, DraftKings only reported suspicious bets after March 20, neglecting to report anything suspicious happening on January 26 during other games.

Both sportsbooks are now under scrutiny for what might be considered negligence in the face of betting integrity, an issue that is overseen directly by the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).