Lifetime bans and careers in tatters — recent sports betting scandals show fringe players are vulnerable

Jontay Porter appeared to be in deep. According to allegations in a recently unsealed indictment against a New York man charged with federal wire fraud in the betting scandal that led to Porter's banishment from the NBA, the former Toronto Raptor "had amassed a significant gambling debt" and owed gamblers thousands of dollars. 

In an attempt to clear his debts, Porter, referred to as Player 1 in the affidavit, agreed to pull himself out of games on two occasions so bettors would be guaranteed to win so-called prop bets — in this case a series of wagers that predicted Porter would underperform in a series of statistical categories, including points and rebounds.

Porter hasn't been charged or publicly named by prosecutors, but the game dates in the court documents and specifics about Player 1 match up with details of an NBA investigation that found Porter had disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and wagered on games.

"If I don't do a special with your terms. Then it's up. And u hate me and if I don't get u 8k by Friday you're coming to Toronto to beat me up," Player 1 wrote to the gamblers, according to the affidavit. 

On Thursday, two more men were charged in the case, where the gambler and a number of associates allegedly placed thousands of dollars in bets on the Porter props that would have paid out more than a million dollars. Even though the bets won, most of the winnings were never paid out because the sports book where the bets were placed flagged the wagers to gambling authorities and the NBA.

Many with knowledge of sports betting say the fact that these bets weren't paid out, along with Porter's ban from the league, is evidence that state and provincial regulations are working. Still, there is