MLB, NBA Face Major Sports Betting ControversiesPlayers Feeling The Heat For Ties To Sports Gambling |
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While the National Football League has seen several suspensions handed down in recent years for players who bet, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association are now taking their turn in the spotlight of major sports betting controversies.
Rumors have begun swirling around L.A. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani after former interpreter and friend Ippei Mizuhara was found to have allegedly used millions of the player’s funds to pay off major gambling debts. ESPN also reported on Monday that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter was also being investigated by the NBA for his part in “betting irregularities.”
The MLB Case
Sports betting remains illegal in California and the Shohei Ohtani incident has him uncomfortably close to gambling, which led to Pete Rose’s lifetime ban in 1989.
The Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara after the news broke that Ohtani paid off the gambling debts for the interpreter, only for the story to change with the Japanese MVP insisting the money was stolen. Using an interpreter, he reaffirmed that in a news conference on Monday, stating that Mizuhara had lied to reporters.
“I’m very saddened and shocked that someone who I have trusted has done this,” Ohtani said. “I never bet on baseball or any other sport, and I’ve never asked somebody to do it on my behalf,” Ohtani said. “I never went through a bookmaker to bet on sports.”
Ohtani’s name was revealed in a federal investigation into California’s Mathew Bowyer, who investigators allege worked as an illegal bookmaker. Ohtani hasn’t been officially accused of making any of the bets and Mizuhara and Bowyer haven’t yet been charged with a crime.
However, some are curious how so much money, $4.5 million, could go missing without Ohtani knowing. MLB has also launched an investigation into the case. The generational pitching and hitting talent signed a 10-year deal for $700 million back in December, with most of the cash deferred, and that doesn’t even account for his endorsement deals which are estimated to be worth $40 million annually.
The NBA Case
In the NBA, the league is investigating prop bets made on Jontay Porter in games on Jan. 26 and March 20. The January game against the Clippers saw larger than normal betting numbers on Porter’s prop bets – specifically the unders on points, rebounds, assists, and 3-pointers.
Those under bets all hit after Porter exited the game just four minutes in after aggravating an eye injury. Now some are saying the injury never really happened.
“The next day, as part of a daily report to users on betting results, DraftKings Sportsbook stated that the under on Porter’s 3-pointers was the biggest money winner for bettors of any NBA player props from games that evening,” ESPN reported.
The network noted that there were attempts to wager $10,000 to $20,000 on the props, which are usually limited to around $2,000. In March, a similar scenario played out again against the Kings. Porter left after only three minutes because of a self-reported illness.
The 24-year-old brother of fellow NBA player Michael Porter Jr. started his career with the Memphis Grizzlies but was waived after just 11 appearances. He then played in the G-League for a couple of years, earning a temporary spot with the Detroit Pistons before landing with the Toronto Raptors as a two-way player, splitting his time between leagues.
All NBA employees are banned from wagering on league games and penalties could bring fines, suspensions, and even the termination of contracts.
In related news, Lebron James recently signed a deal with DraftKings to represent the sportsbook, but he will be staying away from the NBA by sharing his football picks.
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