MLB Suspends Luis Ortiz Amid Sports Betting Investigation

Baseball has brought us our second sports betting scandal of the last week.

The MLB has announced that Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz will be suspended amid a sports betting investigation. The league is focusing on two pitches the veteran threw this season that attracted an unusual amount of wagers. The suspension will remain in effect until July 17, unless further evidence is discovered by the league.

While Ortiz is unable to visit the team or their facilities, he will still be paid.

Details Over Investigation Are Scarce

We know very little about the MLB’s investigation into Ortiz. We know they are looking at one pitch from a game on June 15 and one on June 27. There is no indication that any other games or pitches were flagged as suspicious, though the investigation could expand as new evidence is uncovered.

The MLB also shared that the suspicious bets originated from New York, New Jersey, and the Guardian’s home state of Ohio. 

While this information gives us an idea of what the MLB is looking at, we still don’t know many key details. That includes the number of bets, the amount won, and Ortiz’s connection to any of the people who placed them.

Black Eye for Niche Micro Betting Operators

The news from the MLB has brought the niche micro betting market into the public spotlight. This style of betting involves placing wagers on each moment of a game, such as what pitch a pitcher will throw next. Micro betting is not legal in many sports betting markets, meaning many people haven’t heard of it before this story broke.

If the MLB can prove that Ortiz was involved in a betting scheme, it could bring unwanted attention to micro-betting. These types of bets can be the easiest for players to control, and are far harder for watchdogs to detect. Proving an athlete is cheating throughout a game is far easier than doing so for a single play from a single game.

Even if the investigation doesn’t lead to charges, we expect micro betting to become a hot topic among lawmakers. 

Second Pro Sports Scandal of the Last Week

The investigation into Luis Ortiz was terrible news for the sports betting industry, which is already dealing with a federal investigation into the NBA’s Malik Beasley. The guard is being investigated for unusual activity on a player prop bet as news around some of his unpaid debts began to circulate. 

The industry has survived past betting scandals involving professional athletes, but this could be different. The Ortiz investigation, announced less than a week after the one into Beasley, will draw considerable attention, especially for federal lawmakers already looking to crack down on the industry.

If either of the scandals is proven to be true, expect to see a bigger push for increased federal regulations on sports betting.