Major League Baseball (MLB) has launched an investigation into five players accused of placing illegal bets on baseball games. If found guilty, the players could face lifelong bans from the league.
MLB, like all professional sports leagues in the United States, strictly prohibits active players from betting on their own sport. Players who bet on their own teams face a lifetime ban, while those who bet on other teams may receive a suspension of up to one year.
The scrutiny of professional sports betting in the United States has intensified recently. Former NBA player Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban for violating betting rules, and in 2023, ten NFL players were suspended for varying periods for similar infractions. One of the most notorious scandals involved Ippei Mizuhara, former translator for Shohei Ohtani, who was accused of a $17 million fraud related to betting activities.
