Overview
- The Ohio Casino Control Commission, at Gov. Mike DeWine’s request, is drafting a rule to ban microbets on events controlled by a single player, including first-pitch wagers, pending commission and legislative approval.
- Major League Baseball placed Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary paid leave on July 3 and July 28 after integrity monitors detected unusual spikes in first-pitch betting activity.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred described individual-pitch bets as “unnecessary and particularly vulnerable” and is engaging regulators on broader live-betting restrictions.
- The American Gaming Association argues that prohibition would drive bets to illegal operators and recommends athlete education and legal-market monitoring to safeguard integrity.
- Offshore books such as BetOnline.ag generally avoid offering first-pitch markets due to exploitable vulnerabilities exploited by betting syndicates.