MLB, Sportsbooks Cap Single-Pitch Bets Amid Cleveland Pitching-Indictments
Major League Baseball and leading sportsbooks have agreed to cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and remove those markets from parlays.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:MLB said the new limits were adopted by authorised operators that together represent more than 98% of the U.S. sports-betting market. The league framed the move as an integrity measure, saying pitch-level wagers on outcomes such as pitch velocity and balls and strikes "present heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game".
The agreement, announced on Monday, prohibits bet sizes above $200 on individual pitches and disallows including those markets in parlays. "The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct", MLB added. "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."
Operators named by the league as part of the deal include Bally’s, Bet365, BetMGM, Bet99, Betr, Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, 888, FanDuel, Gamewise, Hard Rock, Intralot, Jack Entertainment, Mojo, Northstar Gaming, Oaklawn, Penn, PointsBet, Potawatomi, Rush Street and Underdog.
The move came a day after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were indicted in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on charges that they accepted bribes from sports bettors to influence the nature of individual pitches. Federal prosecutors charged Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money-laundering conspiracy.
The indictment alleges the pitchers helped two unnamed bettors in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on wagers tied to pitch speed and outcomes, including some pitches that landed in the dirt.
Both players have pleaded not guilty in public statements by their lawyers. Ortiz’s counsel, Chris Georgalis, said: "He is innocent and has never, and would never, improperly influence a game – not for anyone and not for anything". Michael J. Ferrara, attorney for Emmanuel Clase, said: "Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court".
Ortiz appeared in federal court in Boston and was released on conditions that include surrendering his passport, limiting travel to the U.S. Northeast and posting a $500,000 bond, $50,000 of it secured. A judge also ordered him to avoid contact with anyone who could reasonably be viewed as a victim, witness or co-defendant.
The high-profile case follows a separate, recent federal crackdown that led to charges against more than 30 people last month, including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who prosecutors say were involved in a scheme supplying inside information to gamblers. Both men have publicly denied wrongdoing through their lawyers.
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Industry experts say the cap and parlay ban are an immediate, pragmatic response, though they are unlikely to be a cure-all. "Limiting single-pitch stakes reduces the financial incentive for targeted manipulation, but monitoring and enforcement remain critical", said Mark A. Brown, a former state gaming regulator now working as an integrity consultant. "Operators will need to combine limits with real-time surveillance of betting patterns and stronger information-sharing with leagues and law enforcement."
From a legal perspective, prosecutors will rely on financial records, communications and betting data to prove the alleged conspiracies. Convictions in sports-betting cases can hinge on demonstrating intent and tracing illicit payments. If proven, the charges carry severe penalties, including prison time and forfeiture of proceeds.
For bettors and the broader market, the immediate effect will be reduced availability and lower payouts on very short-term markets. Regulators in states with legal sports wagering may consider adopting similar restrictions or mandating enhanced monitoring, a push that could lead to more standardized integrity protocols across leagues and operators.
MLB’s step underscores growing concern among leagues, sportsbooks and prosecutors about the vulnerability of micro-markets – markets that hinge on single-player actions – and signals an increased willingness to impose operational limits to protect the integrity of professional sport.
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