In line with its commitment to "Just Sports," Novig has announced an expanded partnership with IC360, a top-tier integrity and compliance technology provider. This collaboration aims to enhance safety for athletes and stakeholders alike.
Novig will utilize IC360’s ProhiTrade technology to shield athletes, coaches, referees, and sports organizations from harassment and other threats. This system aggregates known offenders into a secure, centralized registry that is accessible to all participants in the Bad Actor network. Additionally, Signify, renowned for its social media protection services, is joining IC360 in this initiative.
This announcement coincides with the imminent start of the 2026-27 NBA season, kicking off on Tuesday with the New York Knicks unveiling their championship banner after a 50-year hiatus. Recently, the NBA has set forth prop and parlay restrictions through its official sportsbook partners to limit match manipulation risks.
Scott Sadin, co-CEO of IC360, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "We are thrilled to have a partner like Novig who values integrity and compliance as much as we do. By adopting a full suite of our services, they are taking key steps to protect their users and enhance standards across the ecosystem. Their commitment to critical initiatives like Centralized Self-Exclusion and the 'Bad Actor' program demonstrates this at the highest level."
In a related development, Novig made headlines last month by securing a multi-year endorsement deal with actress Sydney Sweeney. Known for her role on The White Lotus, Sweeney has over 1.2 million followers on the social media platform X. Although the specific terms of the deal haven’t been revealed, reports indicate she opted for an equity stake in the company. The initial advertisement from the "Just Sports" campaign garnered around 12 million views on X but reached nearly four times that number on Instagram over a 48-hour window. The ad features Sweeney in various provocative poses related to sports and gaming.
Following her endorsement, Novig reported a noticeable surge in app downloads, especially in the first six weeks of the NFL season. Initially valued at $500 million following a $75 million Series B funding round in February, Novig's valuation has now skyrocketed to approximately $2 billion.
In a new 30-second advertisement released on October 9, Sweeney discussed integrity within the trades and touched on the risks of over-gamification in areas outside sports betting. She highlighted concerning behaviors, saying, “There is someone sitting in a bathroom stall betting their 401(k) on a war… And then there are people who just trade on sports… Novig is just sports."
The firm asserts that this expanded partnership is part of its broader commitment to promote responsible trading. Operating under a 21+ age restriction, Novig has encoded responsible trading standards into its exchange rules, focusing on monitoring and protections.
Through ProhiTrade, Novig can cross-check its users against a secure list of prohibited individuals, ensuring that those privy to insider information cannot influence market outcomes. Jacob Fortinsky, co-founder and CEO of Novig, stated, "Sports markets only work if people trust them. That means keeping people with inside information from trading, giving users more control, and ensuring that those who threaten or harass athletes cannot trade on our platform. The partnership with IC360 enhances our capacity to establish stronger protections."
In addition, official NBA sportsbooks have agreed not to offer props on reserve players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes per game, although these guidelines will not extend to prediction markets.
Several trials involving former NBA players are on the horizon, focusing on illegal gambling allegations. Former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier is accused of leaking insider information about plans to leave a game early, allegedly to influence prop bets on his performance. His trial is set for February.
Chauncey Billups, former Detroit Pistons guard and current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, faces charges related to money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Both Billups and Rozier were among a group of defendants arrested last October in a coordinated investigation involving federal and local law enforcement.
Rozier maintains his innocence and has sought to dismiss the charges against him. Meanwhile, Billups has been placed on unpaid leave amid the ongoing investigation, with his attorneys firmly denying all allegations against him.
