MLB Changes Its Official Betting Policy
After the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that opened up sports betting to individual states, Major League Baseball has changed its rules and policies on gambling. The league collaborates with regulators, sportsbooks and independent integrity monitors to monitor betting activity and conduct in-house investigations of any alleged violations. In addition, MLB employees and in-uniform personnel – such as players, coaches, managers, trainers and security guards — are prohibited from betting on any WBSC-sanctioned event that takes place while they’re wearing their uniform or working at a team facility.
Moreover, all MLB postseason officials are required to undergo pre-game screening that includes a review of any criminal charges or convictions related to gambling and sports wagering. A violation will result in a three-year ban from baseball. In addition, any MLB employee or in-uniform personnel who offers to place a bet for another person or team will be banned permanently. This type of behavior is known as tampering, and it’s illegal in every sport.
In addition to the above, MLB and its teams have their own policies on player and in-game betting. For example, the NHL’s current collective bargaining agreement states: “Gambling on any NHL Game is prohibited.” This rule is also posted in each dressing room. In the past, the NHL has spoken out against legal sports betting and warned that it could damage the integrity of the league.
The NBA has been a leader in this space and is partnering with several sportsbooks, including MGM and Caesars. There are even sportsbooks inside some NBA stadiums, including the newest one at the Golden State Warriors’ Oracle Arena. It’s a major shift in attitude, as the NBA once viewed legal sports betting as an existential threat.
Connecticut sports betting online and in-person has been available since 2021. Using DraftKings, FanDuel and other major betting sites, you can bet on anything from the first touchdown scorer to the number of yards a quarterback will throw for in any given game – as long as it’s legal in your state.
A few NFL players have been suspended for placing bets on their own teams. For example, former Detroit Lions receiver Quintez Cephus and Washington Commanders safety CJ Moore each received a one-year suspension for betting on the NFL. The NFL is also investigating the actions of a few other players who made similar bets in 2022.
In the past, professional gambler Joseph Sullivan paid eight members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox – Oscar Felsch, Arnold Gandil, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Fred McMullin, Charles Risberg, George Weaver and Claude Williams – to fix the World Series. This is considered one of the biggest baseball scandals in history, and Rose, who was a manager at the time, was banned for life. In today’s era of sports betting, fixing a game is more complicated than ever, and a number of states have strict laws against it. Fortunately, most states have relaxed their rules on this issue, and many now allow bettors to make wagers on games.