MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Reacts to NBA Betting Scandal: League Staying ‘Really Vigilant’

Before Game 2 of the World Series, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred assured baseball fans that the league is staying “really vigilant” as the sports world reacts to the NBA’s recent betting scandal.

After federal officials arrested nearly three dozen people, including Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups, Manfred said on Saturday, October 25 that the MLB’s “No. 1 priority is to protect the integrity of the game.”

“We didn’t ask to have legalized sports betting,” Manfred, 67, told reporters. “It kind of came, and that’s the environment in which we operate. Now we don’t have a lot of choice about that, and if it’s going to change — broadly change — probably the only way it would happen is the federal government.”

Major League Baseball has had its fair share of gambling scandals over the years, most recently resulting in the suspension of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, after a betting integrity firm flagged suspicious bets back in June. Both players remain under investigation by MLB.

In February, MLB fired umpire Pat Hoberg for violating the league’s gambling rules.

And perhaps most notably, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani – currently competing in the World Series – was caught in the wake of a gambling scandal in June 2024, after his former interpreter pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax fraud and admitted to stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani in order to place illegal sports bets.

Ohtani denied any knowledge or involvement and was cleared of any wrongdoing after an MLB investigation. He subsequently fired his interpreter.

Despite the ongoing gambling issues across professional sports, including MLB, Manfred said he continues to support business partnerships with gambling companies, arguing that deals with these companies help sports leagues police gambling.

“Once you’re in that environment where sports betting is happening, the crucial issue is access to data,” Manfred said. “That means you have to have a relationship with the sportsbooks. Like most relationships, if you want something from them, you need to give something back to them. And that’s where those relationships come from.

He continued: “The most important thing that we can do is make sure that we have systems in place that give us access to data, which puts you in a position to determine if there’s something aberrational going on. I think then when you get that, you need to conduct a thorough investigation, make sure that you understand exactly what caused that aberration. And then you need to discipline.”

Manfred’s comments came the day after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver broke his silence regarding the gambling scandal. During the Friday, October 24 pregame show on the NBA on Prime broadcast, Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the situation and is cooperating with federal officials as the investigation continues.

“There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition,” Silver said during the pregame show. “So I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.”