MLB Doubles Down On Gambling With New Polymarket Deal

Baseball's embrace of sports betting has accelerated under Commissioner Rob Manfred, despite past scandals and integrity concerns.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 5:09am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game broken down into angular, overlapping shapes and planes of color, representing the fragmentation of the sport's integrity due to its increasing ties to the gambling industry.MLB's embrace of sports betting has fractured the game's traditional integrity, exposing players to threats and harassment from gamblers.San Diego Today

MLB has announced a new partnership with the prediction market Polymarket, further embracing sports gambling despite past scandals involving players betting on games. The league's shift towards gambling, which began under Commissioner Rob Manfred, is driven by a desire to control and profit from the growing sports betting industry. However, some players have expressed concerns about the threats and harassment they face from gamblers.

Why it matters

Baseball's long history of resisting gambling has given way to an active promotion of sports betting, as the league seeks to capitalize on the legalization and growth of the industry. This shift raises questions about the sport's integrity and the protection of its players, even as the league claims it can better monitor and control gambling-related activities.

The details

Under Manfred's leadership since 2015, MLB has embraced sports betting, first by partnering with daily fantasy sports companies and now by announcing a deal with the prediction market Polymarket. This represents a stark contrast from the league's past, when commissioners like Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Bowie Kuhn strictly prohibited any association with gambling. Recent scandals, such as the arrests of Dodgers interpreter Ippei Muzihara and the suspensions of several minor leaguers and Cleveland Guardians players, have done little to deter the league's push into the gambling space.

  • In April 2024, Ippei Muzihara, the interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, was arrested for illegally transferring over $16 million from Ohtani's accounts to pay a bookie.
  • In June 2024, MLB suspended four minor leaguers for violating the league's sports betting rules.
  • In August 2025, MLB placed Cleveland Guardians All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis Ortiz on indefinite leave after suspicions emerged that they'd rigged pitches to help gamblers win bets.
  • On March 19, 2026, MLB announced a new partnership with Polymarket, the world's largest prediction market.

The players

Rob Manfred

The current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, who has embraced sports betting and gambling partnerships since taking office in 2015.

Kenesaw Mountain Landis

The first Commissioner of Major League Baseball, who was appointed in the wake of the 1919 'Black Sox' scandal and established a higher standard of integrity for the sport.

Ippei Muzihara

The interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who was arrested in 2024 for illegally transferring over $16 million from Ohtani's accounts to pay a bookie.

Emmanuel Clase

A Cleveland Guardians All-Star closer who was placed on indefinite leave in 2025 after suspicions emerged that he had rigged pitches to help gamblers win bets.

Luis Ortiz

A Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher who was placed on indefinite leave in 2025 along with Emmanuel Clase after suspicions emerged that they had rigged pitches to help gamblers win bets.

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What they’re saying

“You hear it all, man. You blow a save, you don't come through, you get it all. … 'You cost me all of this money. (Expletive) you. (Expletive) your family. I'm going to kill you and then kill your family.'”

— Paul Sewald, Arizona Diamondbacks reliever

“We have got to have a higher standard of integrity and honesty in baseball than in any other walk of life. And we are going to have it.”

— Kenesaw Mountain Landis, First Commissioner of Major League Baseball

“Gambling is happening whether we like it or not. By going all in on gambling, we can at least control what shape it takes and better shield the sport from those with ill intent.”

— Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Major League Baseball

What’s next

The judge overseeing the cases of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz will decide in the coming weeks whether to allow the players to return to the field or extend their suspensions.

The takeaway

MLB's embrace of sports betting, driven by a desire to profit from the growing industry, has come at the cost of the sport's long-held integrity. While the league claims it can better monitor and control gambling-related activities, the threats and harassment faced by players raise serious concerns about the protection of the game's participants.