As reported by the Wall Street Journal this Monday, San Diego Padres player Tucupita Marcano is under MLB investigation over violations of the league’s policy on sports betting. The infielder faces a potential lifetime ban due to allegations of placing wagers on the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, while he was on the injured list.
Additionally, four other players are subject to investigation for wagering on baseball games in the minor leagues.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan, who was part of the Pirates’ team in 2022 and 2023, was in top form until he tore an ACL and was eventually transferred to the San Diego Padres. According to MLB’s policy on sports betting, players are forbidden to bet on any MLB games. As Rule 21 dictates, while athletes who bet on other MLB teams will be penalized with a suspension for one year, those who bet on their own teams will be subjected to a lifetime ban.
Neither Marcano’s agency nor his representative have responded to queries related to the gambling allegations thus far. When asked about the matter, the player’s current team, San Diego Padres, confirmed they were familiar with the ongoing investigation and denied any comments until it was finalized.
The official statement of the team said: “We are aware of an active investigation by Major League Baseball regarding a matter that occurred when the player in question was a member of another organization and not affiliated with the San Diego Padres. We will not have any further comment until the investigative process has been completed.”
Betting and its Impact on Sports Leagues’ Integrity
In April, the NBA was similarly spoilt with a gambling-related scandal, which saw Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter receive a lifetime ban from the league for placing wagers on basketball games and sharing confidential information with bettors.
As already reported by multiple sources, including CasinoGamesPro, MLB’s most recent investigation into sports betting-related issues concerned Shohei Ohtani’s long-time interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. In May, the interpreter agreed to plead guilty to charges of stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to support his gambling addiction.
However, the MLB’s investigation of Marcano’s alleged gambling is the first potential direct ban for a player since Pete Rose’s gambling scandal in 1989.
Last month, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred commented on the challenges the league faces with prop bets: “There are certain kinds of prop bets that are of concern to us and continue to be of concern to us…It’s just easier to have a problem on a prop bet. I think it’s just human nature. So, yeah, we remain concerned about them and have lobbied for certain types of prop bets not to be allowable.”
Such issues brought together Pro League Commissioners at the 2024 Associated Press Sports Editors Commissioners Conference (APSE) Conference, which took place on May 6 and 7 in New York.
