As the sports gambling industry explodes, the list of professional players getting busted for betting continues to grow. The MLB is cracking down, as San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano headlines a list of five players facing punishment for violating the league's gambling policy.
Marcano could receive a lifetime ban, as he allegedly bet on Pittsburgh Pirates games when he was on the team's injured list last season. via the Wall Street Journal's Lindsay Adler and Jared Diamond.
“We are aware of an active investigation by Major League Baseball regarding a matter that occurred when the player in question was a member of another organization and not affiliated with the San Diego Padres,” the Padres said in a statement. “We will not have any further comment until the investigative process has been completed.”
Marcano, the MLB, and the MLBPA all declined to comment. In addition to Marcano, four minor leaguers are also up for betting-related discipline.
What does this mean for the league's future? Will this issue continue to arise? Will they have to monitor players more closely going forward?
The MLB may have to monitor gambling the same way they do “sticky stuff”
Ever since the Supreme Court allowed individual states to legalize sports betting in 2018, players in multiple leagues have gotten caught putting money on games, via ESPN's Jeff Passan.
“Since the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling that began the spread of legal betting in the U.S., 12 NFL players, an assistant coach, and an undisclosed number of league personnel have been suspended for violating the gambling policy, in addition to [Jontay] Porter's banishment from the NBA.
Additionally, the MLB's biggest star was caught in the middle of a gambling scandal this year. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole over $16 million from to gamble with an illegal sports book. Former Anaheim Angel David Fletcher, who played with Ohtani from 2018 to 2023, is also being investigated by the league for betting with the same sportsbook.
Players are all well aware of the rules, via Adler and Diamond.
“The language of Rule 21, which outlines MLB’s gambling policy, is posted prominently in every clubhouse,” they wrote. “Players are allowed to bet legally on sports other than baseball. A player betting on a baseball game involving teams other than his own results in a one-year suspension. Betting on a game involving your own team comes with a lifetime ban.”
This hasn't stopped them from succumbing to their vices. To avoid these incidents in the future, the league may be inclined to ask for access to players' sports books and gambling data. This would have to come from an agreement with the MLBPA, but if umpires are allowed to constantly check pitchers for sticky substances, then they might as well add gambling into the mix.
As for Marcano, his career may be over after 149 games. The 24-year-old slashed .217/.269/.320 with five homers and seven steals.
While gambling bans have been going on since the days of Pete Rose, there have never been so many at once. The current protocols aren't working across professional sports as a whole, so stricter rule changes may be necessary.
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