Major League Baseball (MLB) and leading US sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings have agreed to implement a nationwide $200 betting limit on wagers related to individual pitches following the charges filed against Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.
Such wagers will also be prohibited from being included within parlays as a method of decreasing incentive for manipulation.
"I commend the industry for working with us to take action on a national solution to address the risks posed by these pitch-level markets, which are particularly vulnerable to integrity concerns," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
On November 9, Clase and Ortiz were charged for their alleged roles in a gambling scheme focused on whether individual pitches would be thrown for balls or strikes as well as the over/under for speed of certain pitches.
According to the charges, the players received several thousand dollars in payments to help two unidentified bettors from the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 through live bets.
Manfred also received guidance from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who stated, "By limiting the ability to place large wagers on micro-prop bets, (MLB) is taking affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the game and reduce the incentives to participate in improper betting schemes.
"I urge other sports leagues to follow (MLB)'s example with similar action."
DraftKings and FanDuel both stated the recent investigations will help the legal market's ability to detect bad actors and serve as a "deterrent" for combating future issues.
"This initiative illustrates our unwavering commitment to building a legal and regulated market that roots out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and damage the integrity of the games we love," FanDuel President Christian Genetski said.
A DraftKings spokesperson noted the adjusted bet limits will help "maintain fairness and trust" within baseball while Genetski went on to state the legal betting industry will continue working with sports leagues to "combat corruption."
Former NBA player Damon Jones, current player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups were among those charged with a range of gambling and gambling-related offenses in a 'massive nationwide takedown' on October 23
