MLB Grapples with Rising Gambling Threats: Player Safety in Jeopardy

Major League Baseball (MLB) is deliberating on actions to safeguard players from escalating threats tied to the surge in U.S. gambling.

Commissioner Rob Manfred, addressing the issue ahead of the All-Star Game, acknowledged the growing concern.

"In the last month or so, players mentioned this issue to me," Manfred shared on Tuesday.

"It's obviously one that's of concern, and we've been discussing internally what and whether we should do to be more proactive in this area."

This concern emerged after the U.S. Supreme Court, in May 2018, overturned a federal law prohibiting betting on sports, including football, basketball, and baseball, in most states.

Consequently, sports books have proliferated at stadiums across the country, covering all major U.S. professional sports.

Recent reports, such as one from USA Today last month, revealed that baseball players have been subjected to gambling-related threats.

Manfred emphasized the seriousness of these threats.

"Any time a player receives a threat from any source on any topic, it is a matter of concern to us that we take really seriously in terms of our central security operation and the regional people that we employ with each club," he explained to the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Tony Clark, head of the players' association and a former All-Star first baseman, echoed these concerns.

"We had concerns at the outset and we still have them now, particularly as more players, whether in our sport or otherwise, find themselves in the crosshairs," Clark said.

The gambling issue is further underscored by the case of Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

On June 4, Mizuhara pleaded guilty in federal court in Santa Ana, California, to bank and tax fraud, having stolen nearly $17 million from Ohtani's Arizona bank account.

Mizuhara used a substantial portion of the money to cover gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker.

Moreover, San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban from baseball on June 4 for betting on the sport.

Similarly, Oakland pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues, along with minor leaguers Jay Groome of San Diego, Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and José Rodríguez of Philadelphia, who also received one-year bans for betting on major league games.

Clark emphasized the importance of fair treatment in these matters.

"What we continue to do and we'll stay committed to is ensuring that the process is in place, the due process that's in place is such that players are treated fairly against the backdrop of accusations that may arise," he stated.

MLB's gambling policy enforcement extends to umpires as well. On June 15, MLB announced plans to discipline umpire Pat Hoberg after an investigation into a potential violation of sports gambling policies.

Although no evidence was found that the games officiated by Hoberg were compromised, he decided to appeal the penalty.

Manfred underscored the deterrent effect of strict penalties. "I am generally a believer that penalties and demonstration of your ability to figure out what's going on serves as a deterrent," he said.

"To work your whole life to get to the major leagues in whatever role and then lose that over sports betting or gambling, that's a huge penalty. It's a huge penalty, I think I try to keep perspective on this. I think the relationships that we built with sports betting enterprises, which has given us the ability to use technology to monitor betting activities, I really, truly believe that we are in a better position to know what's going on today than we were in the old days where it was all illegal."