Canadian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the gambling scandal that led to Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter being banned for life from the NBA.
According to ESPN’s David Purdum, the Ontario Provincial Police’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau determined an investigation was warranted after conducting an evaluation of “online gambling irregularities at Raptors games on Jan. 26 and March 20.”
The NBA’s investigation found that Porter intentionally limited his attendance at the Raptors’ game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20 in order to specifically influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance, after playing just three minutes against the Brooklyn Nets and claiming he felt unwell.
The NBA also found that before the game, Porter had leaked confidential information about his health to “an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor.” Another individual with ties to Porter also bet that Porter would underperform on March 20 as part of an $80,000 parlay at an online sportsbook.
From January to March 2024, while on the road with the Raptors and the Raptors’ G League team, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using someone else’s betting account. These bets ranged from $15 to $22,000, totaling $54,094. Total payouts from these bets were $76,059, with winnings of $21,965. None of these bets involved games played by Porter, but he bet on the Raptors to lose as part of three different parlay bets. All three bets lost.
“Jontay is a good young man with strong principles who was able to overcome this challenge. His gambling problem caused him to spiral out of control,” Porter’s lawyer, Jeff Jensen, said in a statement last week. “He is receiving treatment and is cooperating fully with police.”
Earlier this month, 32-year-old Amar Awadeh turned himself in, marking the arrest of a fourth person linked to the scandal. Three co-conspirators were also arrested, including Long Pi Pham, who was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport as he was about to board a one-way ticket to Australia. He was reportedly in possession of $12,000 in cash, two cheques totalling $80,000, betting slips and three mobile phones.
Ontario authorities said they will be in contact with U.S. federal investigators regarding the Porter case as the investigation continues.
No charges have been filed against Porter.