As Major League Baseball finds itself at the center of the latest sports betting scandal, the league is implementing new limits to certain types of bets.
On Monday, MLB announced that it has worked with its sportsbook partners to implement a $200 limit on pitch-level markets, including whether an ensuing pitch will be called a ball or strike or reach a certain level of velocity. Such micro-bets will also be excluded from being used in parlays, with the efforts “intended to mitigate integrity risks, and maintain the transparency and data access benefits that the regulated sports betting market provides.”
“The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct,” MLB said in a release. “The creation of a strict bet limit on this type of bet, and the ban on parlaying them, reduces the payout for these markets and the ability to circumvent the new limit.”
While MLB didn’t specify which sportsbooks agreed to such measures, it noted the agreement includes 98 percent of the U.S. betting market. The announcement comes one day after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted in connection to a federal sports betting investigation, with it being alleged that they manipulated pitches to help bettors profit off such micro-bets.
In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred didn’t specifically reference the Guardians pitchers. He did, however, thank Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who has publicly called for such restrictions in the wake of Clase and Ortiz initially being suspended amid the MLB’s own investigation this past season.
“Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalized sports betting, Major League Baseball has continuously worked with industry and regulatory stakeholders across the country to uphold our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans,” Manfred said. “I commend Ohio Governor DeWine for his leadership on this issue over the last several months. I also commend the industry for working with us to take action on a national solution to address the risks posed by these pitch-level markets, which are particularly vulnerable to integrity concerns.
“We look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders, including licensed sports betting operators, elected officials and regulators, to ensure we are always protecting the integrity of our game.”
DeWine was also quoted in the MLB release, calling for other sports leagues to “follow Major League Baseball’s example with similar action.”
While such restrictions may be a step forward, other scandals seem inevitable considering all the possibilities that sports betting offers. Still, it’s certainly notable that we’ve now reached the point that even sportsbooks are willing to agree to put such limits in place.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.