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Nneka Ogwumike’s Comments Trigger Major Betting Shake-Up as NBA, WNBA Target 3 Markets

WNBA veteran and former players' union president Nneka Ogwumike has reignited discussions about sports betting’s dark side after addressing its impact on player safety at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in October. Her remarks come as the NBA and WNBA prepare to implement sweeping restrictions on high-risk betting markets, including parlay wagers tied to a single player’s underperformance, 'first-of' bets on individual stats like rebounds or steals, and under bets on players expected to log fewer than 12 minutes per game.

The changes, set to take effect in the 2027 WNBA season, follow a season marred by harassment—including death threats and racial slurs—targeted at players like Natasha Cloud and Chelsea Gray after losses on player props or parlays. The leagues aim to curb illegal market activity while protecting athletes from backlash, striking a balance between regulation and accessibility in an increasingly intertwined sports-betting ecosystem.

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