MLB Partners with Major Sportsbooks to Enforce $200 Cap on Pitch-Level Bets

Major League Baseball (MLB) has put new limits on micro-betting, setting a $200 cap on bets for single pitches and taking them out of parlay options. They shared this news on Monday, just a day after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers faced federal charges for changing pitch results to make money from gambling.

Rob Manfred Announces Leaguewide Betting Safeguards Following Guardians Pitchers’ Indictment

The league said it worked with betting companies that cover over 98% of the US betting market to create these new safety measures. Big names like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, and others will start using these new limits right away. MLB explained that these steps aim to reduce risks to the game’s integrity in betting markets that focus on specific, player-controlled events such as how fast a pitch is or what happens with one pitch.

Rob Manfred, the Commissioner, stressed that keeping baseball credible remains MLB’s top goal. He thanked state regulators and industry partners for their efforts to create a single national standard to stop wrongdoing. Manfred said the rules offer a “meaningful safeguard” to protect against the kind of tampering that might happen in small, specific markets.

The news comes after prosecutors in Brooklyn’s federal court charged pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. The government claims they took money from gamblers in the Dominican Republic to pitch balls, letting bettors win on specific prop bets. Officials say this illegal plan helped the gamblers pocket at least $460,000. Both players say they did nothing wrong. Their lawyers stated that their clients plan to prove their innocence in court.

Ohio Governor Praises MLB’s Betting Cap, Urges Other Leagues to Follow Suit

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a strong opponent of micro-betting, applauded the league’s quick action. He pointed out that lower betting limits help cut down on the motivation for corruption and called on other professional leagues to put in place similar rules. DeWine had earlier worked with MLB officials to talk about the dangers linked to these markets.

FanDuel president Christian Genetski agreed that the changes show a shared goal of fair play and keeping regulated sports betting honest. He stressed that teamwork between leagues, operators, and regulators remains crucial to stop abuses that could shake public confidence.

The betting cap is one of the most wide-ranging integrity measures MLB has put into action since sports betting became legal in many parts of the United States after the 2018 Supreme Court decision overturned the federal ban.

While this move tries to shut down chances for manipulation, people still wonder if stricter limits on their own can get rid of risks in a setting where real-time betting keeps growing. For the time being, MLB and its sportsbook partners say they will keep a close eye on betting activity, hinting that more changes could come if worries about integrity do not go away.