Shane Pinto Opens Up About NHL Suspension for Proxy Betting

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto has shared details about his 41-game suspension for violating the NHL's gambling rules.

In October 2023, Pinto became the first NHL player to be suspended for online gambling.

On the Empty Netters podcast, he explained that he used friends in the U.S. to place bets for him, as he couldn't use Canadian sportsbooks.

"I had my buddies, because I was in Canada, just place bets for me in America," Pinto said.

"I wasn't a Canadian citizen so I couldn't really use a Canadian sportsbook. So I just had many buddies place bets for me and that's proxy betting, so that's obviously a big no-no. It was an illegal act so, obviously, it was a pretty big deal."

At the time of his suspension, the NHL clarified that there was no evidence he had bet on NHL games.

Pinto described the suspension period as "brutal" and emphasized the support he received from family and teammates.

"I just did my best with the hand I got dealt with. Obviously, it was a little bit my fault, so I'm not gonna like [want] pity over it. But I thought I did a good job of responding from it. It sucked, but I had a lot of people around me that helped me… I'm glad it's over, but I learned a lot from it. Thank god it's all behind me."

Pinto returned to play in late January, scoring 27 points and nine goals in 41 games.

He recently signed a two-year extension as an unrestricted free agent and represented the U.S. at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

Canadian Football League (CFL) star Shawn Lemon is currently serving a suspension while he awaits an August hearing.

The Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman was banned by the CFL in April amid allegations that he had gambled on league games, including one he participated in while playing for the Calgary Stampeders.

The three-time Grey Cup champion appealed the suspension in May and was temporarily allowed to return to playing.

However, in early July, his suspension was reinstated as the ban was determined to be “justified and reasonable.”

In a higher-profile case, Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been banned for life by the NBA due to his involvement in an illegal gambling ring.

Porter admitted to manipulating his own performances to ensure that player prop bets cashed in.

He pleaded guilty this week to a criminal charge of fraud in the U.S. and is also under investigation by Ontario Provincial Police.