An insider claims gambling companies are fueling anti-tank efforts

After multiple complaints that the teams were apparently breaking in the past few weeks, the NBA has responded sentencing the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers. An NBA insider believes the fines came in response to the commissioner Adam Silver receiving pressure from gambling companies.

Interest in NBA gambling has grown exponentially over the past few years, with thousands of dollars wagered on each game. However, if teams do not disclose unorthodox game plans to betting companies, it is difficult for betting sites to set accurate lines, which can lead to industry disruptionNBA insider Ben Golliver speculated.

“I think one key aspect of this with Utah is — if you don’t play guys in the fourth quarter, how many bets does that affect?” Golliver said on the ‘Greatest of All Conversations’ podcast. “We know how much the NBA has gotten in bed with gambling. Over-unders are at stake, players are props at stake. If coaches were just going to not want, not play guys the whole game, and not let people know 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 dealing with a late-game toss because of the NBA’s “difficult ties” to gambling. @BenGolliver

“We know how much the NBA has gotten into bed with gambling… If coaches willy-nilly don’t play with guys the whole game and don’t let people… pic.twitter.com/KEKN7NV96R

— The NBA Base (@TheNBABase) February 17, 2026

The NBA has been actively fighting thinness for years, but the problem has never been more apparent than it was for the Jazz and Pacers at the end of the 2025-26 season. Utah received heavy criticism for sitting stars Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic throughout the fourth quarter at the end of multiple games before penalties.

As the sports betting industry continues to grow, all professional leagues are working to maintain strong relationships with gambling companies. The NBA has already faced multiple large-scale gambling scandals over the past three years and will do everything it can to avoid going down that road again.