Brooklyn Nets swingman Michael Porter Jr spoke publicly for the first time this week about the risks of sports betting, particularly the issue of match manipulation, which is closely related to the arrest of his brother Jontay Porter last year. Jontay admitted to manipulating data in two NBA games during the 2023-24 season and providing insider information to a betting group, and is set to be sentenced in December.
Michael pointed out in the "Night with Stani" podcast that sports betting could induce players to engage in improper behavior, such as intentionally playing for a short time or pretending to be injured, to benefit gamblers. He emphasized that such actions are not only illegal but also jeopardize professional reputation and team trust.
The Jontay Porter case is part of a larger investigation by the Eastern District of New York prosecutor into NBA game manipulation. Reportedly, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley are also under investigation. Some players have made multiple bets in a short period and hit them, involving bets amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Michael stated that the entire sports betting environment is "bad and getting worse," revealing that some players even received threats from gamblers. Concerns about match manipulation are growing in the industry, and Major League Baseball (MLB) is also investigating suspicious betting activities by several pitchers.
Experts suggest using artificial intelligence and big data tools to detect abnormal betting patterns, to combat manipulation and assess risks. Dan Hartman, former director of the Colorado Gaming Commission, pointed out that modern technology is crucial in tracking cross-platform and large-scale data.
Jontay Porter made several large bets through the FanDuel VIP program, one of which was an $80,000 bet that led to a payout of $1.1 million. Currently, six defendants have been charged in the case, with sentencing scheduled for December 10 in Brooklyn.
