MLB Faces New Gambling concerns as Pitchers Indicted
Major League Baseball is grappling with a notable gambling scandal following the indictment of two pitchers, Aroldis Clase and Luis Ortiz, on charges related to intentionally manipulating game performance for illegal wagers. Prosecutors allege Clase deliberately threw pitches into the dirt, impacting game outcomes to facilitate betting schemes, resulting in over $400,000 in fraudulent wagers for himself and others. Ortiz is accused of joining the scheme earlier this year, contributing to over $60,000 in illicit winnings. Both pitchers face potential prison sentences exceeding 60 years if convicted on all counts.
Lawyers representing Clase and Ortiz have issued statements denying the accusations and asserting their clients’ innocence. The Cleveland Guardians,the team both pitchers play for,have not yet publicly responded to the allegations.
The timing of this scandal comes less than two weeks after a similar case emerged in the NBA, raising questions about a potential increase in such incidents. NPR’s Rafael Nam reports that the expansion of legalized sports gambling as the 2018 Supreme Court decision has fueled the growth of online betting, particularly a trend known as “prop bets.”
Prop bets, or proprietary bets, are micro-wagers focused on specific, frequently enough minor, aspects of a game. Examples include a basketball player missing a free throw or, in the case of Clase and Ortiz, a pitcher throwing a deliberately poor pitch at a specific moment. These bets occur frequently throughout games and present a unique temptation for athletes.
“Some athletes…can justify they’re not, quote-unquote, ‘throwing’ a game. They’re only doing something small. They’re not impacting the game,” explained Michal Lorenc, a sports management professor at the University of Michigan. The nature of these small manipulations also makes them difficult to detect, potentially allowing athletes to collude with family members or others to influence performance without raising suspicion.
The proliferation of prop bets is driven by benefits for all parties involved. While illegal wagers are universally condemned, sports leagues have increasingly partnered with gambling companies, integrating advertisements and even broadcasting betting odds during games. This is because increased engagement throughout the entirety of a game, fueled by prop bets, is beneficial to broadcasters and teams.
In response to the growing concerns, Major League Baseball announced today it will collaborate with gambling companies to limit wagers on pitches to a maximum of $200, aiming to reduce the incentive for manipulation. Experts anticipate further action from state governments to address the issue.
