Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are both currently on leave as part of a ‘sports betting investigation.’ The probe, at least in regards to Ortiz, involves micro bets.
CLEVELAND — Gov. Mike DeWine is calling for the Ohio Casino Control Commission to ban sports prop betting amid an MLB investigation that has seen two Cleveland Guardians pitchers be placed on leave.
In a statement issued Thursday, DeWine asked the commission “to remove prop bets from the list of legal bets that can be placed under Ohio’s contractual rules for operators.” He will also ask the commissioners of MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the WNBA, and MLS to support his efforts to eliminate individual prop bets both in Ohio and nationwide.
According to the governor’s office, the request comes not just because of the case involving Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, but also due to “threats” athletes have faced from angry bettors and others. In February 2024, at the urging of both DeWine and NCAA President Charlie Baker, the OCCC banned all prop bets related to college athletics after a number of University of Dayton basketball players faced intimidation concerns.
“The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass. First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a ‘sports betting investigation,'” DeWine wrote in a statement. “The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm. The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly. I call on the Casino Control Commission to correct this problem and remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace.”
To clarify: Clase and Ortiz have not technically been suspended by MLB, but rather placed on “non-disciplinary paid leave” while the league conducts its investigation, meaning they can’t play for or have any contact with the team during that time. Ortiz’s leave was first announced on July 3, followed by Clase on July 28. Both will be out until at least Aug. 31.
According to multiple media reports, the allegations surrounding Ortiz involve at least two of his pitches during games — one on June 15 and another on June 27. Both pitches were well out of the strike zone, and betting-integrity firm IC360 flagged both pitches after noticing an “unusual” amount of gambling activity on micro bets calling for the throws to result in either a “ball or hit batsman.”
Neither the league nor reporters have confirmed any specific allegations against Clase, only to note that his absence is related to the same investigation that led to Ortiz being placed on leave. The loss of Clase, in particular, has thrown the Guardians into a state of flux — both because of his status as the club’s all-time leader in saves and the resulting collapse of his trade value as Cleveland explored dealing him for what could’ve been a massive return.
Ohio officially legalized sports gambling in 2023, years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a near-national ban on the practice. Since that times, virtually all major leagues and teams (including MLB and the Guardians) have sought partnerships with betting companies, though players and other personnel remain specifically barred from placing wagers.
This article was published by Tyler Carey on 2025-07-31 17:42:00
View Original Post
