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How can sports leagues enforce rules in the wake of MLB’s actions against sports betting offenders?

By Rustin Dodd, Stephen J. Nesbitt and Cody Stavenhagen

When Major League Baseball announced a lifetime ban for San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on Tuesday, the specific details of his wrongdoing were outlined: 387 bets placed at legal sportsbooks, 231 wagers related to MLB, and 25 on the Pittsburgh Pirates, his employer at the time. He allegedly wagered over $150,000 on baseball.

Marcano’s betting success rate was just 4.3%, as revealed by MLB. The league’s extensive disclosure on Tuesday highlighted a common theme as the sports industry grapples with repercussions from the increasing prevalence of legalized gambling in the United States.

With easy access to betting in most states, it has become simpler for individuals to place bets. However, the rise of legal online sportsbooks and smartphones has also made it easier for leagues to monitor betting activities and uphold the sport’s competitive integrity. MLB issued year-long suspensions to Oakland A’s pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor leaguers for betting on MLB games while in the minors.

The announcement followed an investigation that involved interviews and cooperation from the league’s sportsbook partners, shedding light on the monitoring system implemented by legal sportsbooks. This system incorporates external entities like U.S. Integrity, a monitoring service collaborating with major sports leagues and sportsbooks.

As the acceptance and popularity of betting grow, the involvement of players in the sports betting market poses a threat to the leagues. While sporting organizations increasingly engage with gaming partners, they have established measures to deter athletes, coaches, and team or league employees from gambling on their respective sports.

Integrity analysts immediately pinpoint a bettor’s location upon logging into a betting app, ensuring that no athlete can wager from a team facility undetected. Social media surveillance, real-time data analysis, and proprietary algorithms are employed to monitor betting trends and identify suspicious activities. Any concerning trends are promptly investigated by an assigned team.

If an issue raises significant suspicion, a monitoring service notifies both sportsbooks and the league. Internal monitoring teams within sportsbooks also scrutinize for abnormal betting patterns and line movements.

U.S. Integrity is now involved in a joint venture called ProhiBet, focusing on encryption technology to prevent athletes, coaches, and league officials from placing bets. The company established a tip hotline in May 2023 to encourage reporting of gambling suspicions within the sports industry.

MLB revealed that a legal sports betting operator alerted the league in March regarding past betting activities from accounts linked to major- or minor-league players. The information was uncovered from accounts that did not participate in games on which bets were placed. MLB’s investigation was aided by a legal sportsbook’s proactive measures to enforce policies.

Collaboration between regulators, law enforcement, and leagues plays a crucial role in addressing cases of betting misconduct. The implementation of safeguards helps leagues address such incidents as they arise.

While the monitoring system is constantly evolving to detect fraudulent activities, challenges persist in identifying schemes that exploit potential loopholes. Extensive technological measures are in place to track and link betting activities to individuals, ensuring comprehensive oversight.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with regulators and sportsbooks to maintain integrity within the sport. Efforts are focused on enhancing monitoring systems, educational initiatives, and awareness campaigns to uphold the fundamental rules of the game.

Despite the complex nature of sports betting and the presence of bad actors, leagues are committed to implementing robust measures to address misconduct swiftly and effectively. While challenges remain, the goal is to identify and tackle any breaches of integrity promptly and decisively.

(Top photo of Marcano: George Kubas / Diamond Images via Getty Images)

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