After numerous complaints that teams were clearly lagging over the past few weeks, the NBA responded by issuing fines to the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers. An NBA insider believes the punishment was handed down in response to commissioner Adam Silver receiving pressure from gambling companies.
Interest in NBA gambling has grown rapidly over the years, with thousands of dollars wagered on each game. However, if teams are not disclosing unconventional game plans to betting companies, it is difficult for betting sites to set accurate lines, which could create disarray in the industry, NBA insider Ben Golliver speculated.
“I think an important aspect of it with Utah is – if you’re not playing with guys in the fourth quarter, how much is that affecting the punts?” Golliver said on the ‘Greatest of All Talk’ podcast. “We know how much the NBA has gotten away with with gambling. Over-unders are at stake, players’ supports are at stake. If coaches are just acting reluctantly, not putting people through full games, and they’re not telling people in advance that they plan to do that, you’re going to have a lot of angry gamblers and a lot of angry gambling companies.”
Adam Silver is reportedly cracking down on late-game slumps due to the NBA’s “serious ties” to gambling. @bengolliver
“We know how deeply the NBA has become intertwined with gambling… If coaches are intentionally not playing people throughout the game and they are not letting people play… pic.twitter.com/QEQN7NV96R
– The NBA Base (@TheNBABAse) 17 February 2026
The NBA has been actively combating tanking for years, but the issue has never been as severe as it was for the Jazz and Pacers at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Utah received heavy criticism for sitting star players Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic for the entire fourth quarter at the end of several games before being fined.
As the sports betting industry continues to grow, all professional leagues are working to maintain strong relationships with gambling companies. The NBA has already dealt with several high-profile gambling scandals over the past three years and will do everything possible to avoid going down that path again.
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