Major League Baseball has seen an uptick in gambling incidents this season. So far two players on the Cleveland Guardians have been the subject of gambling investigations. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz found themselves kicked off the team with the rumors swirling around them. Amid the drama, Ohio gambling regulators want to ban betting on the first pitch at MLB games.
First pitches featuring celebrities, former players, or other professional athletes have been a staple at MLB games for decades. With the rise in popularity of gambling around the sports world, fans look for every opportunity to put money down on something, including the first pitch. Those kinds of micro-bets are what the gambling regulators want to ban.
ESPN's David Purdum looked into the ongoing talks, breaking down what the new regulations would impact.
“The proposed ban would be on ‘specific events within games that are completely controlled by one player,' not all player props, according to sources familiar with the issue,” Pardum said.
The American Gaming Association, a casino group located in Washington D.C., disagree with the gambling regulators. They don't think that prohibiting micro-bets is the way forward. They want to introduce new rules to protect users and discourage players and teams participating in the industry whatsoever.
“Prohibition doesn't stop betting-it stops oversight. Illegal operators won't honor bans, won't partner with leagues, and won't protect players or fans. The most effective path forward is education and deterrence: making sure every athlete knows the rules, understands the risks, and recognizes that if they compromise the game's integrity, the legal market will catch it.”
Until courts reach a ruling, the drama surrounding the Guardians is not going anywhere. Clase is still on suspension, robbing Cleveland of their closer. However, he and Ortiz are the latest additions to a growing list of players caught betting on their own sport.
