As sports gambling has become bigger and bigger in the United States following its legalization in certain states, sports leagues and associations have done everything they can to keep their athletes from participating in the rampant betting culture and compromising the integrity of the games.
When a player is found guilty of betting on his or her sport, the normal response has been a lifetime ban from the sport. That’s exactly what happened with one of the best closers in the MLB, according to one prominent reporter.
“SOURCE: Emmanuel Clase will never pitch in MLB again. The gambling evidence found against him is irrefutable,” Hector Gomez reported on Monday night, while the MLB’s championship serieses are still being played out.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“The digitization of legal sports gambling is cancer,” one fan wrote on Twitter, referencing how easy it is to place sports bets now through gambling apps.
“Can’t he just say he doesn’t understand English and he gets off? I thought that is how it works in (the MLB),” someone else added.
“These sports betting companies are corrosive to the game. Why are they allowed to sponsor the MLB?” one person added.
It’ll be interesting to see if any other MLB stars are implicated.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.