NBA memo addresses the need to assess 'dire risks' of gambling - ESPN

The NBA is reassessing its position on legal sports betting, how it should be regulated, what type of bets should be allowed and the best ways to protect players from the «dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods,» according to a league memo obtained by ESPN on Monday.

The memo was sent to all 30 teams four days after veteran guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups were indicted in part of a federal investigation into gambling schemes involving sports betting and poker. The league wrote in the memo that it is reviewing policies regarding injury reporting, training and education of all NBA personnel and safety measures for players.

Federal authorities accused Rozier of conspiring with a childhood friend in a gambling scheme centered on prop bets on his statistics from a game on March 23, 2023, when he was with the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier, according to the indictment, told co-conspirator Deniro Laster that he would be leaving the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early. Laster sold the non-public information about Rozier's status to gamblers for approximately $100,000, according to the indictment.

Sportsbooks in multiple states detected unusual betting interest on the under on Rozier's statistics ahead of the game, and enough unexpected betting came in that many sportsbooks halted betting on Rozier ahead of the game. Rozier left the game after playing a little over nine minutes, citing a foot injury.

«While the unusual betting on Terry Rozier's 'unders' in the March 2023 game was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our