- Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head
- Bagnaia wins wet Thai MotoGP to close gap on title rival Martin
- 'Olympus has fallen': India fears end of an era after New Zealand loss
- Bagnaia wins wet Thai MotoGP ahead of title rival Martin
- Olympic champion Zheng hails consistency after Pan Pacific Open win
- Red-hot Yin Ruoning secures LPGA Malaysia title with flawless 65
- Echavarria birdies final hole to win PGA Tour's Zozo Championship
- Lithuanians vote in runoff as centre-left tipped to take power
- Trump takes election pitch to storied New York arena
- James triple-double helps Lakers hold off Kings, Clippers down Nuggets
- Olympic champion Zheng wins in Tokyo for third title of year
- Death toll in Philippine storm rises to 100
- Ohtani suffers shoulder injury in Dodgers win
- Ohtani injury scare as Dodgers down Yankees to take 2-0 World Series lead
- Ohtani suffers partial shoulder dislocation in Dodgers win: team
- Rare Sahara floods bring Morocco's dried-up south back to life
- Dodgers down Yankees 4-2 to take 2-0 World Series lead
- Far right tipped to gain ground as jaded Bulgarians vote again
- Dodgers' Ohtani injured in World Series win
- China's second-generation factory owners go digital to combat challenges
- Indonesia bets on SE Asia's first battery plant to become EV hub
- Israel's Netanyahu hoping for Trump triumph
- Powell pours in 37 to spark NBA Clippers over Jokic-led Denver
- Recession-hit Argentina gripped by 'Ponzidemia'
- Sakamoto leads Japanese women's sweep at Skate Canada
- Sainz success shows his class as Ferrari rise above the radar
- Verstappen, Norris set for another duel
- Michelle Obama admits fear over vote result, slams Trump
- Sainz takes pole for Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen
- Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps defend Skate Canada pairs title
- Lille score twice in stoppage-time to beat Lens after 'extraordinary' week
- Barca in 'flow' state after thrashing Madrid: Flick
- Curfew extended in French Caribbean territory amid power blackout
- Ruling party set to win Georgia election amid opposition protests
- Lille score twice deep in stoppage-time to beat Lens, Brest win
- NASA astronaut released from hospital after return from ISS
- Lewandowski double as Barca shred Madrid in La Liga Clasico
- Floods hit Saint-Tropez as rains lash south of France
- Japan votes with new PM on shaky ground
- Herve Renard completes surprise return as Saudi coach
- Di Lorenzo fires Napoli five points clear, Atalanta hit Verona for six
- Van Graan has 'utmost respect' for Du Toit as Bath go top of Premiership
- Report details fossil fuel threat to 'Amazon of the seas'
- Michelle Obama to boost Harris, as Trump rages against migrants
- Catholic Church assembly acknowledges 'obstacles' for women
- 'Too early' to say Leverkusen out of title race: Alonso
- World champion Malinin grabs men's lead at Skate Canada
- Farrell 'sorry' for second Top 14 yellow in Racing win
- Ruling party set to win Georgian elections
- Piastri, Norris set Mexico practice pace as Verstappen struggles
NBA bans Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life over gambling violations
The NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life on Wednesday after a bombshell probe found he bet on league matches -- dubbed a "cardinal sin" by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
The league said that Porter, who spent part of his season in the NBA and part of it in the developmental G League, also shared private information on his fitness with a sports bettor and removed himself from a game to influence wagers on his own play.
"There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter's blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment," Silver said in a statement announcing the ban.
The league said its investigation remains open and it is sharing information with federal prosecutors regarding the matter.
The league launched an investigation into Porter, younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., in March following reports of suspicious betting patterns in games he was involved in.
The 24-year-old has not played since March 22, shortly before an ESPN report gave details of alleged irregularities in games in which he played.
The league said it found that prior to the Raptors' March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status "to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor".
The league continued: "Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game."
In that same game, Porter played just three minutes before saying that he felt ill.
"Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and was not paid out."
In addition, the league said, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games from January through March of this year while traveling with either the Raptors or their G League affiliate Raptors 905.
He used an associate's online betting account to make wagers ranging in size from $15 to $22,000 for a total of $54,094 and resulted in net winnings of $21,965.
None of the bets involved any game in which Porter played, but three of the bets were multi-game parlay bets that included one Raptors game.
Since the US Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports gambling in 2018 a majority of US states have legalized online sports betting.
Silver has been an advocate of legalizing and regulating sports wagering but said in Wednesday's announcement that the Porter case indicates that further regulatory measures may be needed.
"While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players," Silver said.
"Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game."
O.M.Souza--AMWN