Earlier this year, NBA player gambling issues came to light. The league imposed a lifetime ban on Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, accusing him of betting on games, sharing information with gamblers, and feigning illness to manipulate a wager. Porter had appeared in 26 games for Toronto during this season, and previously played 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2020-21 season.
The investigation into NBA player gambling revealed Porter’s involvement in widespread gambling activities, a direct violation of league regulations. Allegations included his disclosure of confidential health information to an individual known to be a bettor on NBA games before a March 20th match-up. According to the league, Porter purportedly claimed to be suffering from an illness during the game and only played for three minutes.
While Porter was not criminally charged in this case, others were. On June 3rd the central figure in the scandal, Long Phi Pham, was apprehended at JFK airport as he attempted to board a flight bound for Australia. Pham was subsequently released on a $750,000 bond. Two additional arrests have now been made, according to the US Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York.
Timothy McCormack and Mahmud Mollah are accused of betting on games in which then-Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter deliberately withdrew himself early from play, allegedly to manipulate specific prop bets. Both granted release on $50,000 bond. According to the complaint, they had been questioned by federal investigators as early as May 30th.
UPDATE: The fourth individual sought in this case has surrendered to authorities. According to a court complaint, Ammar Awawdeh, is alleged to have coerced an NBA athlete, referred to only as “Player 1,” to depart games prematurely as a means to settle gambling debts. The strategy, termed a “special” by the pair, aimed to ensure a payout for those who wagered on the player to under perform in said games, as outlined in the document.
