Can NBA Players Gamble on Sports?

Gambling in the United States is becoming more and more acceptable with each passing year. Fans can jump into action in any state where it is legal. All it takes is downloading an app these days, and it happens entirely from a mobile device.

For NBA players, and professional athletes in general, there have always been strict rules against any type of gambling on their own sports. It’s pretty obvious that betting on anything involving the NBA is a big no-no, but what about gambling on sports in general?

Can NBA Players Gamble on Sports?

Players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) can’t gamble on their own sport. This includes betting on games, participating in fantasy leagues, or wagering on any other sporting event. However, they are generally free to bet on other sports as long as they follow the same rules as the average person (betting in legal states, meeting the betting age requirement, etc.).

Why Do Leagues Encourage Players to Downplay Betting?

Gambling can easily lead to corruption and fixing scandals in the league. If a player has a financial stake in a game, they may be tempted to throw the game or influence the outcome in some way. This would be highly detrimental to the integrity of the NBA.

There have been a few instances where players have been caught gambling on sports, but the punishment is typically very severe. In 2007, NBA official Tim Donaghy was banned from the NBA for life after it was revealed that he had bet on games he was officiating. Any player caught fixing or betting on games likely faces a “death sentence” in the league in which they will get permanently banned. Messing with the integrity of the game can’t be taken lightly with so much on the line.

Do Athletes Have an Edge in Gambling on Other Sports?

Even if professional basketball players can’t bet on the NBA, some might think that they have an edge when betting on other sports. This stems from famous athletes knowing other athletes, perhaps getting some inside information along the way. While that could be the case occasionally, the advantage isn’t overwhelming. Average gamblers could also get inside information once in a while and not be seen as having a truly unfair advantage.

If anything, athletes have less of an advantage than professional gamblers because they don’t have the time to create their own systems. Unless they have someone betting on their behalf, they’re too busy playing their sport to bet mathematically. Most athlete bets publicly shared involve betting on their favorite players or hometown teams.

They might try to find some easier bets to win if all they care about is winning. Athletes don’t like losing, so some will just go for perceived easy wins instead of huge bets on longshots.

How the NBA has Warmed Up to Gambling

Any type of connection to gambling was unheard of even a few years ago in the NBA. Now, players are getting deals with gambling companies and even promoting legalized gambling to make extra money.

With more states legalizing gambling, they have embraced it as another form of revenue. Still, the NBA is taking measures to ensure that players have no connection to NBA gambling in a way that hurts the game. They need to be as diligent as possible with getting calls correct and using the replay system correctly.

Is it Common for NBA Players to Gamble?

Athletes with downtime in the offseason, a lot of disposable income, and ample access to casinos all lead to opportunities to gamble. While the majority of players are very responsible with any type of gambling they take part in, that’s connected to the training they get when first entering the NBA. One of the first things they talk about is the strict ban on NBA gambling, as well as general gambling tips to stay smart.

This growing stream of revenue will become more prevalent in advertising and within the general lexicon of the game. Players can freely gamble on other sports, but they’re playing with their career if they even think about gambling on anything connected to the NBA.