As the New York Mets prepare to face the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field, an anticipated clash on August 3, 2025, this exciting MLB fixture underscores a more profound and persistent challenge facing professional sports: the shadow of gambling scandals. While fans focus on the action on the diamond, the integrity of the game, and indeed all professional sports, is under constant scrutiny due to increasing incidents of betting-related misconduct.
The landscape of sports wagering dramatically shifted following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in May 2018, which overturned a federal ban on sports betting in most states. This decision opened the floodgates for online sportsbooks, integrating gambling into the very fabric of the sports ecosystem and, concomitantly, escalating the risks of impropriety among athletes and officials. The burgeoning industry brings immense revenue but also renewed ethical dilemmas for leagues striving to maintain competitive fairness.
Historically, baseball has faced its share of gambling controversies, dating back to infamous incidents like the 1951 college basketball point-shaving scandal. This period saw 35 active and former players implicated in fixing at least 86 games, notably involving four members of the Adolph Rupp-coached Kentucky Wildcats. Their involvement in taking bribes ahead of an NIT game led to a severe NCAA investigation and the unprecedented cancellation of Kentucky’s 1952-53 season, highlighting the severe consequences of such actions.
Further reinforcing this dark history, the 1981 Boston College basketball scandal involved former player Rick Kuhn and New York mobster Jimmy Burke. Their convictions for conspiring to fix games during the 1978-79 season underscored the infiltration of organized crime into sports. These historical precedents serve as stark reminders of the vulnerability of sporting contests to external manipulation for financial gain, threatening the very trust between fans and the game.
Perhaps one of the most enduring symbols of a player’s fall from grace due to gambling is Pete Rose. In 1989, an MLB investigation by John Dowd confirmed that baseball’s all-time hit leader had placed numerous bets on the Cincinnati Reds to win while both playing for and managing the team from 1985-87. Now 82, Rose remains ineligible for induction into the Hall of Fame, despite repeated requests for reinstatement, a testament to MLB’s unwavering stance on maintaining the sanctity of the game.
The issue of sports gambling extends beyond baseball, significantly impacting other major leagues. In the NBA, former referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty in 2008 to wire fraud for taking bribes for inside tips on games he officiated. More recently, in April 2024, Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban for disclosing confidential information to bettors and wagering on games, including betting against his own team. The NFL has also seen over 15 players suspended for gambling violations, including historical figures like Paul Hornung and Alex Karras in 1963, and notably, Calvin Ridley in 2022.
Major League Baseball continues to grapple with these issues, with recent high-profile cases emerging in 2024 and 2025. Tucupita Marcano was banned for life in June 2024 for placing over 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000. Additionally, Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly received a one-year suspension for betting in the minor leagues, alongside three other minor league players. These actions reiterate the league’s firm zero-tolerance policy against any form of gambling on baseball by personnel, regardless of the amount or the league level.
Even umpires and active players face scrutiny. In February 2025, umpire Pat Hoberg was banned for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games, despite no evidence of Hoberg personally betting or manipulating games. Furthermore, in June and July 2025, Cleveland Guardians pitchers James Karinchak and Enyel De Los Santos were placed on paid leave amidst an ongoing sports betting investigation, focusing on unusual activity around in-game prop bets. These incidents highlight the comprehensive and persistent efforts required to protect the integrity of baseball and professional sports from any compromise by illegal gambling activities.
