MLB Doesn't Ban Prop Bets, but There Are Now Limits

Major League Baseball is making a move in response to the rigged-pitch betting scandal involving at least two of its players, though it's more or less a half measure. On Monday, the league announced it will no longer allow micro-bets, a type of prop bet, on individual pitches to exceed $200, and those types of bets will also no longer be permitted as part of parlays, reports the Athletic. These type of bets can present "heightened integrity risks because they focus on specific, one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of a game," the MLB says, per a release.

"Since the Supreme Court decision opened the door to legalized sports betting, Major League Baseball has continuously worked with industry and regulatory stakeholders across the country to uphold our most important priority: protecting the integrity of our games for the fans," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred added in a statement. The move came just one day after Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted for their alleged roles in the betting scheme, which is said to have earned two gamblers in the Dominican Republic close to half a million bucks.

The Athletic reports that FanDuel and DraftKings, two of the largest sportsbooks in the US, are modifying their platforms to accommodate the league's move. The MLB notes that sportsbook operators that represent 98% of the US betting market agreed to the league's new limits, per the AP. "The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct," the league said.

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As for the future of prop bets overall, Manfred is saying only that the league is discussing them "with a variety of people," per the Athletic. However, Tony Clark, who heads the MLB's players union, noted earlier this year that he was in favor of a ban. "Every time there's a situation that arises related to gambling, the concern doesn't lessen," he said at the time. "It gets greater." More here on "baseball's biggest betting scandal since Pete Rose."