Sports betting backlash grows as Guardians players face game-fixing charges
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted earlier this week on multiple federal charges accusing them of manipulating game outcomes.
Why it matters: High-profile scandals in MLB and the NBA have raised fears about the integrity of sports, and whether certain plays, or even whole games, are being manipulated.
Catch up quick: Clase and Ortiz are accused of agreeing to throw specific pitches for balls so gamblers could win bets totaling at least $450,000, according to the indictment.
- The scheme allegedly involved receiving bribes to throw balls instead of strikes and pitches below certain speeds, which could be wagered on as proposition bets.
State of play: Clase and Ortiz could face up to 65 years in prison if convicted on all charges, and receive a lifetime ban from MLB.
- Lawyers for both Clase and Ortiz have denied the charges.
The big picture: Similar charges were levied last month against NBA coach Chauncey Billups (Portland Trailblazers), guard Terry Rozier (Miami Heat) and former Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones.
- The three were accused of being involved in illegal sports betting and rigged poker games involving the Mafia.
Follow the money: Both cases involve athletes who have or were set to make millions in their playing careers, earning thousands of dollars in gambling revenue.
- Clase, considered one of the best closers in baseball, was set to make $6.4 million in 2026.
What they're saying: "One of the factors that motivates people to gamble on sports or any action-oriented game is competition," Joshua Grubbs, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico who studies gambling addiction, tells Axios.
- "I don't think it's particularly surprising that a group of elite athletes would be higher in their competitiveness rate and then take that risk."
What's next: Ortiz was granted release on $500,000 and pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on Wednesday.
- Clase is reportedly out of the country and had yet to be taken into custody as of early Wednesday afternoon.
- Both remain on nondisciplinary leave from MLB.
Between the lines: MLB this week announced an agreement with several major sportsbooks to limit individual pitching bets.
- Gov. Mike DeWine, who in August called for a ban on all sports "prop" bets in Ohio, has expressed support for the new measures.
What we're watching: Some lawmakers are pushing for federal restrictions on sports betting, such as limits on how much bettors can deposit and advertising techniques used by sportsbooks.