Jontay Porter bet $50m at FanDuel, including on Russian ping-pong

A FanDuel VIP host reportedly kept feeding Porter bonus bets during his five-day ping-pong binge.

The hit

Banned NBA player Jontay Porter reportedly wagered more than $50m at FanDuel over roughly 18 months, according to a New Yorker profile by Nick Berardini. The story says Porter, who has no memory of one 144-bet, $1.2m weekend, later blew a $500,000 home loan gambling & bet heavily on Russian ping-pong.

Why it matters

Porter was one of the first major US athletes banned for life for sports gambling since the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018. This account adds detail on how an addiction scaled from day-trading to a five-day, VIP-fuelled ping-pong binge. It raises questions, as analysis rather than the source’s own framing, about how sportsbooks flag high-volume bettors showing signs of trouble.

The record

First big bet	$125,000 on Chiefs-Ravens, Week 2, 2021 NFL season (Porter, via The New Yorker)
Weekend betting spree	144 wagers worth $1.2m over four days (The New Yorker)
Total FanDuel wagers	Over $50m across roughly 18 months (The New Yorker)
Russian ping-pong binge	Up $1m, then down over $400,000 after five days (The New Yorker)
NBA ban	Banned for life, April 2024 (NBA)
Criminal case	Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud; faces up to 20 years

What happens next

Porter’s case is tied to the wider 2025 NBA betting scandal involving Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones & Terry Rozier.

Sources: Disgraced NBA star’s gambling addiction included betting millions on Russian ping pong

Named in this story? Reply to newsdesk@infobets.com & we publish it.

18+. Betting involves risk. If gambling is a problem for you or someone close to you, help is available.