The blossoming of legalized sports betting across much of the country in recent years has reaped big profits for leagues, many of the wager takers and the governmental bodies that reap tax-generated revenue.
But the dark side of this business centers on those who have been lured in by slick advertising and a get-rich-quickly dream that rarely materializes, leading them to lose more than they can afford to drop, and athletes who bet on events they are contractually prohibited from doing.
The mess involving Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s biggest name, in which an illegal bookmaker reportedly was sent $4.5 million in transfers from Ohtani’s funds, still is unfolding. He has claimed no prior knowledge of that, saying the money was stolen by his now-former translator — a person who at first said Ohtani was helping him out, something Ohtani vehemently denied. Investigations continue into the matter.
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Another athlete, albeit much less prominent but with area ties, also has found himself in the crosshairs of sports-betting trouble this week.
Jontay Porter, a journeyman NBA player who played in 33 games for Mizzou in the 2017-18 season and averaged 9.9 points, is being investigated in connection with betting irregularities associated with him leaving two games early, contests in which his production fell short of the wagering numbers posted on his statistical achievements.
Porter has played in five games for the Toronto Raptors, averaging 4.4 points 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
that on Jan. 26 “there was increased betting interest on the under†on his proposition bets, “which for the night were set at around 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.â€
He played just four minutes in that one, departing because of what was said to be an eye injury. He had no points, three rebounds and one assist, making the “under†the betting winner on all three propositions.
DraftKings, one of the nation’s biggest sportsbooks, said “the under on Porter’s 3-pointers was the biggest money winner for bettors of any NBA player props from games that evening,†according to the ESPN report.
Then on March 20, Porter lasted just three minutes before leaving for the rest of the game because of what was said to be an illness, again going “under†on prop bets on his statistical production. Again, DraftKings said prop wagers on Porter were its customers’ biggest NBA winner that night.
The ESPN report said “multiple betting accounts attempted to bet large amounts, upward of $10,000 and $20,000, on Porter unders in the January game. ... Betting limits on NBA player props vary by sportsbook and customer but are typically around $1,000 to $2,000.†It attributed that to a “sportsbook industry source.â€
That has raised questions about who might have been involved IF there were any shenanigans taking place. A player involved in betting on or against himself or his team could face severe discipline from the NBA and perhaps legal trouble.
This week, an NBA official told ESPN that the league is “looking into it.â€
Porter, who is playing for Toronto on a two-way contract worth $415,000 this year, has not played since the investigation surfaced and has not addressed the matter publicly. Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., his brother and also a former University of Missouri player, told reporters Wednesday he did not have any specifics but stuck up for his sibling.
“I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,†Michael Porter Jr. said.
He talked in general terms about how the rapid growth of legal sports betting has been felt on the court.
“Especially the last few years you hear people in the crowd saying what they need you to score tonight or what they don’t want you to score,†he said. “Every night you’re disappointing someone. You’re disappointing people if you score too much because they may have bet on the under, and you’re disappointing (other) people if you didn’t score enough.
“So, it’s a part of the game now. I think that it’s obviously a dangerous habit. It’s a dangerous vice for people. You know, the love of money is the root of all evil. So, I think that even though it is a thing, we as players just have to accept that. We get paid a lot of money to play this game and I know these people, these fans, they want to make some money, as well.â€
Last week, Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he was threatened from gamblers last season and reported it to the NBA. And this week NCAA President Charlie Baker urged states with legal sports betting to ban prop wagers on college athletes. He said those type of bets are “continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed.â€
An interesting, in-depth and thoughtful discussion on this topic takes place on the latest edition of the ““ podcast.
Battlehawks blitz
The Battlehawks battled hard last season but narrowly failed to make the playoffs despite being the preseason betting favorite, or close to it depending on the house, to win the XFL title.
They have a new home this year, in the United Football League following the merger of the XFL and USFL, and again the oddsmakers have high expectations for the team that missed the 2023 postseason via a laborious tiebreaker situation.
As of Friday afternoon, the DraftKings sportsbook (Casino Queen in East ºüÀêÊÓƵ) had them as the co-favorite, with Birmingham, to win the UFL title, at 3-1 odds for both. The book at Argosy casino in Alton had Birmingham on top (+325, meaning a successful $100 bet would return a $325 profit). That club was followed by the Battlehawks and DC, both at +350. FanDuel (horse track in Collinsville) had Birmingham at +310, followed by DC at +350. The B-Hawks were third, at +370.
FanDuel had the Battlehawks as a 6½-point favorite for their season opener, at 3 p.m. Saturday on the road against Michigan. The two other shops were up to a 7-point spread. The most favorable money line for those what want to bet on the team to win without the point spread being involved was at Argosy, which required a $295 risk to try to turn a $100 profit.
Argosy had the over/under (number of points the teams combine to score) at 41½, while the other two were at 42.
Soccer slowdown
Last year, in its inaugural season in Major League Soccer, City SC was undefeated in its first five games. This season, in Year Two, the team also is unbeaten through five matches.
Last year, bettors who wagered $100 on the club to win each of those five contests were ahead by $1,247 if they placed the bets using the most favorable three-way line among the legal walk-in sportsbooks in the area. This time, those who bet $100 on City to win its first five games under the same parameters are down $165.
The difference? The three-way line offers a trio of wagering choices — the home team to win, the visiting team to win or the match ending in a draw. Last year, City SC won all its first five outings, the first time an MLS expansion team had done that, and often was at long odds. This year the team has won only one of its first five contests, tying the other four — including last weekend when it played DC to a 2-2 draw. So on the three-way line, a draw is a loser for those who wagered on City to win.
The team returns to action Saturday night in Salt Lake City, with the most favorable three-way line among the area books as of Friday afternoon being +320 (DraftKings and FanDuel).