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Portergate & Its Discontents

Despite the screaming headlines about the Rozier–Billups nightmare, grizzled sports media executives are more sanguine in private—recognizing that sports betting isn’t only an irreversible trend but also an increasingly central part of the economic future of the industry.

Chauncey Billups
Yes, two NBA coaches (including Chauncey Billups) had been arrested, but many clung to a double-barreled assuagement—that legalized sports betting has made the system more regulated and, well, that the horse is already out of the barn. Photo: Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
John Ourand
October 23, 2025

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When news broke this morning that the NBA was embroiled in another gambling scandal—or “the insider trading scandal for the NBA,” as F.B.I. Director Kash Patel described it—the league’s partners retreated into what can best be described as wait-and-see mode. After all, the comingling of sports and legal sports betting has likely become irreversible. As ESPN host Mike Greenberg discussed the latest scandal to befall pro sports, a promo for ESPN Bet was displayed prominently onscreen. As the NBA prepares for a full slate of games tomorrow, around half of its teams will be carried by a channel called “FanDuel Sports Network.” And on and on. In fact, the integration between sports and gambling has become so pervasive that my text messages were filled with jokes like this, and this.