NBA Bans Same-Player Under Parlays and Other Props at Sportsbooks

The NBA is prohibiting its authorized sportsbook partners from offering several prop bets this season, including parlays that stack unders on a single player's stats. The league distributed the restrictions in a memo to operators, according to ESPN's October 16, 2026 report.

The regular season tips off Tuesday, October 20, 2026, so the changes will apply to bettors from the first night.

Which Bets Are Being Pulled

According to the memo obtained by ESPN, bettors will no longer be able to include the under on the same player's statistics in a parlay. The league described such combinations as "low likelihood, high payout bets."

Betting sites, including DraftKings and FanDuel, have also been told not to offer bets on the winner of the opening tip, on players to miss specific shots, or on under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes in a given game. Sportsbooks will also be barred from offering alternate lines on unders that carry larger payouts.

The Sports Business Journal reported the same package, adding that bettors can no longer customize their own "alternate under" number on player props. The NBA previously barred wagering on fouls, turnovers, and missed free throws, as well as under props on players on 10-day and two-way contracts.

Why the League Acted

Parlays built on a single player's unders appear in the federal cases involving Jontay Porter and Terry Rozier. Porter admitted in court that he intentionally removed himself from games early to benefit bettors while on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors in 2023-24.

In the criminal complaint, federal prosecutors said one bettor placed an $80,000 parlay on the under on Porter's assists, rebounds, points, 3-pointers, steals and blocks for a March 2024 game against the Sacramento Kings, with a payout of about $1.1 million. Porter left after three minutes. 

Prosecutors allege a similar approach was used in a March 2023 game involving Rozier, who left after about nine minutes. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

NBA executive vice president Scott Kaufman-Ross told ESPN the cases were among the factors in the decision: "Seeing where we may have had issues in the past is one of the inputs to determining the types of things that we think could be problematic."

Why Unders Are Not Banned Outright

The league stopped short of removing under props altogether. Kaufman-Ross said the aim was to avoid pushing activity toward unregulated books: 

"There's a balance between ensuring that we are removing problematic bet types but also ensuring that we don't just move activity into the illegal market. And where we landed right now, we think, is the right balance of those two objectives."

The NBA has authority over what partner sportsbooks offer through its agreements. ESPN reported the league estimates those partners account for up to 99% of the U.S. betting market, while Sports Business Journal put the figure at about 95% of the state-regulated market. Either way, the restrictions cover nearly all licensed parlay betting in the country.

Enforcement is less certain for prediction markets. The NBA has not announced a formal partnership with any of them, and Kaufman-Ross acknowledged that restricting bets there could be challenging. He told Sports Business Journal the league remains in discussions with prediction market operators about a collaboration framework.

Other Integrity Measures This Season

A separate memo to teams outlines new integrity steps. Former NFL player and retired FBI agent Charles Tillman will lead in-person training on the league's sports betting rules, and Sports Business Journal reported that all players, coaches, and training staff must attend. The league is also upgrading an in-house, AI-based platform that monitors betting data for unusual activity on NBA games.

The NBA is also updating its fan code of conduct to cover harassment or threats from bettors. It has partnered with Social Project, which lets players opt in to have harassing social media messages identified and deleted, and has launched a text-message hotline for reporting threats.

What Bettors Should Know

Bettors who regularly build player prop parlays should expect fewer options on NBA games from the opening week. Markets can differ by state and sportsbook, so check the betting menu at your operator before placing a wager. 

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