The NBA is moving to further limit high-risk wagering markets, with the league and several prominent sportsbooks agreeing to ban or restrict a new group of bets ahead of the 2026-27 season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and David Purdum, the league has instructed authorized gaming operators, including major partners such as DraftKings and FanDuel, to remove several betting options that officials believe present heightened integrity concerns.
One of the biggest changes involves parlays built around multiple “under” bets on the same player’s statistics. Bettors will no longer be able to combine several unders tied to one player into the same parlay. The NBA has also moved against so-called “first of” markets, which can include wagers on who wins the opening tip, whether a player makes or misses a particular shot, or which player records the first rebound, assist or steal.
The league is also prohibiting under bets on players who are expected to play fewer than 12 minutes in a game. That restriction is designed to reduce exposure around players whose limited roles can make their statistical output especially sensitive to minor changes in playing time or availability.
The latest rules build on restrictions introduced in previous seasons. Sportsbooks have already been barred from offering certain wagers involving players on 10-day or two-way contracts, as well as player props tied to turnovers, fouls and missed free throws.
The broader push comes after a series of betting-related controversies raised questions about how easily narrow player-prop markets could be manipulated. Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to a federal wire-fraud charge after admitting he deliberately removed himself from games early to influence wagers, while Terry Rozier has faced separate gambling-related allegations and has pleaded not guilty.
For the NBA, the goal is not to eliminate sports betting but to reduce the number of markets that can be affected by a single player, a single possession or a limited-minute role. Traditional game lines and most standard player props remain available, but the league is clearly drawing a firmer line around bets that depend on very small, highly controllable events.
The new restrictions mark another step in the NBA’s attempt to balance its commercial relationship with legal sports betting against a growing need to protect competitive integrity.
