NBA Tightens Restrictions on Cell Phone Usage Amid Integrity Concerns

The NBA has just taken a significant step towards preventing sports betting scandals going forward.

The world’s top pro basketball league has announced an update to its cell phone policy. Starting this season, players and coaches will no longer be able to use their phones from tipoff until the final whistle. The hope is that the new rule will prevent future betting scandals similar to the well-publicized Jontay Porter incident.

The rule is the first of its kind in pro sports, though other leagues could soon follow.

New Policy and Update on Current Rules

The NBA implemented a social media policy in 2009 that prevented players from posting on social media during games. It came after an incident with a Milwaukee Bucks player who sent out critical tweets at halftime of a game. 

The league’s new change was built on the 2009 policy to account for legal sports betting. There has been a mounting concern over the integrity of the sport, especially since the Porter scandal. While the new cell phone policy doesn’t provide a guaranteed fix, it does prevent the possibility of live betting scandals.

League Accounts for Potential Emergencies

One of the biggest concerns about the new policy is emergencies. With players out of pocket for over two hours, there was a concern that they could miss important messages regarding a family death, the birth of a child, or other emergencies.

Each team will designate one employee to monitor all player phones and respond to calls and messages when needed. If an issue does arise, that employee can immediately talk to the player, ensuring he can respond quickly.

How Will Players Respond?

Responsible gaming advocates applaud the new policy, but there is some concern over how players will respond. While rules over posting on social media have been in place for a long time, players and coaches were still allowed to use their phones to message loved ones, play games, and browse the internet. Now, that will all be gone.

Taking a phone away from a young adult can be challenging enough, but many will likely also bristle at the idea of a team employee having access to their phone. The possibility of a text call revealing embarrassing information is strong, and there is always the risk of the team employee sharing the information publicly.