NBA Tells Sportsbooks to Bar Certain Types of Wagers
The NBA has instructed sportsbooks not to offer certain types of wagers, including bets on the first stat of a game, the outcome of the opening tip, and 'under' bets for players with minimal expected playing time.
Wichita Falls & Lawton, TX, October 16, 2026 —
The NBA has instructed sportsbooks not to offer several types of wagers, including bets tied to the first statistic of a game, the result of the opening tip and player ‘under’ bets when the player is expected to receive minimal playing time.
The instruction covers different kinds of betting markets. One concerns which statistic will be recorded first in a game; another concerns the outcome of the opening tip. The third category involves wagers on a player finishing below a specified statistical total, when that player is expected to have limited playing time.
The information provided does not identify when the NBA issued the instruction or which sportsbooks received it. It also does not specify how the league defines minimal expected playing time, whether the instruction applies to every sportsbook, or what action may follow if a sportsbook continues to offer the wagers.
No explanation for the instruction was provided, and the details do not state whether other types of wagers are affected. The league’s direction, as described, is limited to the listed categories; further policy terms and implementation details were not available.
The instruction concerns which betting options sportsbooks should make available. The available information does not say whether any wagers had already been offered, whether sportsbooks have changed their offerings, or whether the NBA announced additional measures.
Story summarized from the original created by TIM REYNOLDS, Associated Press on www.texomashomepage.com, see more information here.
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