NBA Directs Sportsbooks to Stop Offering Certain Wagers This Season
The NBA has directed sportsbooks to stop offering certain types of wagers this season, including specific player-based bets and bets on the game's opening tip.
Dothan, AL, October 16, 2026 —
The NBA has directed sportsbooks to stop offering certain types of wagers this season, including some bets tied to individual players and bets on which team wins the game’s opening tip. The available information does not identify the specific player-based wagers covered by the directive.
The scope of the direction is therefore only partly clear from the summary. It describes the affected bets as “certain types,” rather than saying that all player-related wagers or all opening-tip wagers are prohibited. It also does not name the sportsbooks that received the direction or specify when it was issued.
No reason for the NBA’s action was provided. The available information also does not say whether the directive was issued through a formal policy, how sportsbooks are expected to implement it, or whether any penalties or other consequences apply. Those details cannot be established from the information provided.
The stated measure concerns this season, but no season dates or further timeline were given. It is also unclear whether the direction applies uniformly across sportsbooks or whether it covers additional wager types beyond the examples named. The information provided does not describe any response from sportsbooks or whether the directive has changed the wagers currently available.
As described, the NBA’s instruction is limited to certain player-based bets and wagers on the opening tip. More precise details about the covered bets, the recipients and the implementation were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by TIM REYNOLDS, Associated Press on www.wdhn.com, see more information here.
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