Jontay Porter: The Toronto Raptors player has been suspended by the NBA for violating the league's playing rules

CNN
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Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been suspended by the NBA after an investigation found the 24-year-old player violated betting rules.

In March, the league announced it had begun a betting anomaly investigation into Porter after unusual betting patterns emerged surrounding the player.

The NBA said in its investigation that Porter “violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.”

“There is nothing more important to our fans, our teams and everyone connected to our sport than protecting the integrity of the NBA competition, and Jontay Porter's flagrant violation of our game rules will be met with the most severe punishment possible,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or unusual activity, this issue raises important questions about the adequacy of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered to our games and players,” Silver added.

“Working closely with all stakeholders in the industry, we will continue to work diligently to protect our league and our game.”

The NBA said in a press release that the league has shared and will continue to share information with federal prosecutors. The league also said its investigation remains open and may yield further results.

CNN has reached out to the Raptors and Porter for comment.

The investigation revealed that Porter disclosed confidential information about his medical condition to someone he knew to be an NBA player before the March 20 game.

Another person who later contacted Porter would have won $1.1 million by betting $80,000 on the Raptors underdog in that game.

An $80,000 bet on the March 20 game was voided due to “unusual betting behavior and behavior by a player,” the NBA said.

The NBA also found that Porter's attendance at games was manipulated to influence bets on his performance in the Toronto games.

The league also found that Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games between January and March of this year.

The winnings totaled $54,094, from $15 to $22,000, for a total payout of $76,059, resulting in a net winning of $21,965.

Although Porter did not participate in any of the games he bet on, there was a series of bets on the Raptors that predicted Toronto would lose. All three bets failed.

In 26 games with the Raptors this season, Porter is averaging nearly 14 minutes and just over four points per game.

This story has been updated with additional information.