Category Archives: MLB

Citigroup halts DFS payments in New York; MLB rethinking DraftKings relationship

Daily fantasy sports operators DraftKings and FanDuel have been dealt another blow after CitiGroup Inc. announced it would no longer process DFS payments in New York State.

On Friday, Bloomberg Business reported that Citigroup would cease processing DFS transactions in New York pending the outcome of the state Attorney General’s legal action against DFS operators. Spokesperson Jennifer Bombardier said the ban would remain in effect until the courts reached a “final decision.”

New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman launched legal action against DraftKings and FanDuel last November, one week after issuing cease and desist orders to the two operations, based on his opiinion that DFS was illegal gambling under state law. The operators won a permanent stay of Schneiderman’s injunction last month, but a definitive conclusion of this issue is a long ways away.

Citigroup is the world’s biggest credit-card lender, and its loss would be a major blow to DFS operators already reeling from last week’s news that payment processor Vantiv Inc, would cease handling DFS transactions effective Feb. 29. The two main DFS sites are believed to have around 600k customers in New York who generated roughly $200m in entry fees in 2015.

Citigroup halts DFS payments in New York; MLB rethinking DraftKings relationship

Daily fantasy sports operators DraftKings and FanDuel have been dealt another blow after CitiGroup Inc. announced it would no longer process DFS payments in New York State.

On Friday, Bloomberg Business reported that Citigroup would cease processing DFS transactions in New York pending the outcome of the state Attorney General’s legal action against DFS operators. Spokesperson Jennifer Bombardier said the ban would remain in effect until the courts reached a “final decision.”

New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman launched legal action against DraftKings and FanDuel last November, one week after issuing cease and desist orders to the two operations, based on his opiinion that DFS was illegal gambling under state law. The operators won a permanent stay of Schneiderman’s injunction last month, but a definitive conclusion of this issue is a long ways away.

Citigroup is the world’s biggest credit-card lender, and its loss would be a major blow to DFS operators already reeling from last week’s news that payment processor Vantiv Inc, would cease handling DFS transactions effective Feb. 29. The two main DFS sites are believed to have around 600k customers in New York who generated roughly $200m in entry fees in 2015.

Major League Baseball headed to London despite presence of big bad bookies

Major League Baseball says it’s okay with playing games in London, despite the fact that bookmakers will be legally taking wagers within spitting distance of home plate.

In an interview with the Associated Press, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred (pictured) said the league hopes to play a regular season game in London during the 2017 season. In doing so, baseball would join the NFL, NBA and NHL, which have all scheduled regular season games in Europe in recent years.

Manfred was cagey on details, but London’s Olympic Stadium has been suggested as a likely venue to host whichever MLB teams are selected to cross the pond for the league’s first European foray.

The NFL and the other leagues that have staged UK matches have been criticized for maintaining a double standard regarding sports betting. All four leagues have actively fought New Jersey’s efforts to bring legal sports betting to the Garden State based on their claims that sports betting threatens the integrity of their sporting product.

Major League Baseball headed to London despite presence of big bad bookies

Major League Baseball says it’s okay with playing games in London, despite the fact that bookmakers will be legally taking wagers within spitting distance of home plate.

In an interview with the Associated Press, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred (pictured) said the league hopes to play a regular season game in London during the 2017 season. In doing so, baseball would join the NFL, NBA and NHL, which have all scheduled regular season games in Europe in recent years.

Manfred was cagey on details, but London’s Olympic Stadium has been suggested as a likely venue to host whichever MLB teams are selected to cross the pond for the league’s first European foray.

The NFL and the other leagues that have staged UK matches have been criticized for maintaining a double standard regarding sports betting. All four leagues have actively fought New Jersey’s efforts to bring legal sports betting to the Garden State based on their claims that sports betting threatens the integrity of their sporting product.

Pete Rose heads to Reds Hall of Fame

For what it’s worth, Pete Rose is getting a hall of fame induction… in the Cincinnati Reds’ team hall.

Bypassing its usual voting process, Reds announced that it will induct Rose into its Hall of Fame this summer.

During the press conference, Reds’ chief executive Bob Castellini said Tuesday that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred approved the plans to honor Rose. The June 24-26 events will retire Rose’s No. 14 and feature a 40-year reunion of the 1976 world champion Reds.

The Reds Hall of Fame had the same rule that the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has had since 1991, which barred any players on baseball’s permanently ineligible list from induction, but the board of directors voted unanimously to change the bylaws and elect Rose.

Pete Rose heads to Reds Hall of Fame

For what it’s worth, Pete Rose is getting a hall of fame induction… in the Cincinnati Reds’ team hall.

Bypassing its usual voting process, Reds announced that it will induct Rose into its Hall of Fame this summer.

During the press conference, Reds’ chief executive Bob Castellini said Tuesday that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred approved the plans to honor Rose. The June 24-26 events will retire Rose’s No. 14 and feature a 40-year reunion of the 1976 world champion Reds.

The Reds Hall of Fame had the same rule that the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has had since 1991, which barred any players on baseball’s permanently ineligible list from induction, but the board of directors voted unanimously to change the bylaws and elect Rose.

Texas Rangers’ Yu Darvish in hot water following brother’s gambling arrest

Sho Darvish’s baseball betting arrest has become a family affair.

On Tuesday, several news outlets reported that Darvish’s older brother, Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is now being investigated by Major League Baseball for his potential involvement in Sho’s alleged gambling ring.

According to The Japan Times, there are no charges—yet—for Yu Darvish at this point, but the MLB is conducting a probe “to find out if there is any link between the ace and the reason for his younger brother’s arrest.”

In an email to the Japanese news outlet, MLB VP for communications Michael Teevan said: “We are aware of this situation and are looking into it, per our standard protocols.”

Texas Rangers’ Yu Darvish in hot water following brother’s gambling arrest

Sho Darvish’s baseball betting arrest has become a family affair.

On Tuesday, several news outlets reported that Darvish’s older brother, Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is now being investigated by Major League Baseball for his potential involvement in Sho’s alleged gambling ring.

According to The Japan Times, there are no charges—yet—for Yu Darvish at this point, but the MLB is conducting a probe “to find out if there is any link between the ace and the reason for his younger brother’s arrest.”

In an email to the Japanese news outlet, MLB VP for communications Michael Teevan said: “We are aware of this situation and are looking into it, per our standard protocols.”

South Korea fines new Cardinals pitcher for gambling

The newly-signed St. Louis Cardinals reliever Seung Hwan Oh gets another fine for his gambling escapade in Macau and this time from his country South Korea.

A Seoul court has fined Oh KRW 10 million ($8,300) for breaking South Korean laws by gambling at a Macau casino, according to spokesman Joon Young Maeng at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday.

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Lim Chang-yong, Oh’s ex-teammate with South Korean club Samsung Lions, was also fined the same amount.

Oh and Lim were recently ordered by the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) to pay a fine of KRW 7 million ($5,800) after prosecutors decided their actions constituted a summary offense. Both were also hit with half-season bans if they decide to return to the KBO League.

South Korea fines new Cardinals pitcher for gambling

The newly-signed St. Louis Cardinals reliever Seung Hwan Oh gets another fine for his gambling escapade in Macau and this time from his country South Korea.

A Seoul court has fined Oh KRW 10 million ($8,300) for breaking South Korean laws by gambling at a Macau casino, according to spokesman Joon Young Maeng at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday.

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Lim Chang-yong, Oh’s ex-teammate with South Korean club Samsung Lions, was also fined the same amount.

Oh and Lim were recently ordered by the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) to pay a fine of KRW 7 million ($5,800) after prosecutors decided their actions constituted a summary offense. Both were also hit with half-season bans if they decide to return to the KBO League.

Korean pitcher dodges jail time; off to U.S. for MLB talks

South Korean pitcher Oh Seung-Hwan’s dream of becoming big in the American baseball world is almost within his reach.

Oh, a relief pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers, was dragged into an illegal gambling hullabaloo for allegedly wagering millions of won in Macau in November 2014.

Earlier this month, Oh was called to the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office for questioning. During the five-hour interrogation he admitted to borrowing chips worth “some hundreds of millions of won,” but said the number of times he gambled and the amount he wagered were “insignificant.”

Last week, the prosecution asked a local court for a summary order against Oh and Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club Samsung Lions veteran pitcher Lim Chang-yong and a fine of seven million won (US$5,970) each, Yonhap reported.

MLB commish Rob Manfred upholds Pete Rose lifetime ban

Not today, Pete.

Okay, that may not be what Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred told Pete Rose when he called him up on Monday to tell him that he is upholding his ban, but that’s just how I imagined it.

Three months before the decision, Manfred met with Rose at the MLB headquarters on Park Avenue in Manhattan to discuss the ban, which was enforced 26 years ago. Rose described the meeting as “cordial” and he claimed to have answered Manfred’s questions “truthfully”.

According to Manfred’s report, at the meeting, Rose admitted that he extensively bet on Cincinnati Reds games in 1987, although his memory was a bit cloudy on his involvement in betting on baseball when he was still an active player in 1985 and 1986. Another significant confession from Rose, which he tried to deny at the first part of their meeting, was when he admitted that he still bet recreationally and legally (in Las Vegas) on horses and sports, including baseball.

MLB commish Rob Manfred upholds Pete Rose lifetime ban

Not today, Pete.

Okay, that may not be what Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred told Pete Rose when he called him up on Monday to tell him that he is upholding his ban, but that’s just how I imagined it.

Three months before the decision, Manfred met with Rose at the MLB headquarters on Park Avenue in Manhattan to discuss the ban, which was enforced 26 years ago. Rose described the meeting as “cordial” and he claimed to have answered Manfred’s questions “truthfully”.

According to Manfred’s report, at the meeting, Rose admitted that he extensively bet on Cincinnati Reds games in 1987, although his memory was a bit cloudy on his involvement in betting on baseball when he was still an active player in 1985 and 1986. Another significant confession from Rose, which he tried to deny at the first part of their meeting, was when he admitted that he still bet recreationally and legally (in Las Vegas) on horses and sports, including baseball.

MLB Commissioner to decide whether to reinstate Pete Rose before the year ends

There is a big news coming for Pete Rose.

According to a written statement, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has promised to decide by the end of the month. That’s less than a month of waiting whether Santa would be so generous that Rose will find a reinstatement letter on a red Christmas sock he hang on his wall or he and his lawyers will just have to keep on trying.

Even if the old Charlie Hustle is giving Manfred those puppy eyes, nobody at MLB is suggesting at which way the commissioner is leaning and many believes that there is no reason Manfred will do what his mentor/predecessor Bud Selig didn’t do from 1992-2015 and that’s lifting Rose’s ban for 20 years.

But hey there may be a bit if chance as Manfred may be the most open-minded MLB commissioner. Manfred during an interview with ESPN said that he wanted to have a sports betting discussion with team owners. That is after the fact that baseball really hates gambling.

MLB Commissioner to decide whether to reinstate Pete Rose before the year ends

There is a big news coming for Pete Rose.

According to a written statement, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has promised to decide by the end of the month. That’s less than a month of waiting whether Santa would be so generous that Rose will find a reinstatement letter on a red Christmas sock he hang on his wall or he and his lawyers will just have to keep on trying.

Even if the old Charlie Hustle is giving Manfred those puppy eyes, nobody at MLB is suggesting at which way the commissioner is leaning and many believes that there is no reason Manfred will do what his mentor/predecessor Bud Selig didn’t do from 1992-2015 and that’s lifting Rose’s ban for 20 years.

But hey there may be a bit if chance as Manfred may be the most open-minded MLB commissioner. Manfred during an interview with ESPN said that he wanted to have a sports betting discussion with team owners. That is after the fact that baseball really hates gambling.

Korean pitcher faces gambling charges amid bid to join MLB

A South Korean pitcher’s dream of playing in the Major Baseball League could be shattered over gambling charges.

Hanshin Tigers relief pitcher Oh Seung-Hwan will be summoned by Seoul prosecutors this week over illegal gambling overseas probe.

Oh was dragged into an illegal gambling hullabaloo after the prosecutors secured a list of Koreans who frequently go to gambling houses in Macau and other Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Philippines.

South Korea, which allows local residents to enter to just one of the country’s 17 casinos, also prohibits its citizens from gambleing abroad.  According to a former member of a Korean gang surnamed Lee, Oh gambled over 100 million won in the exclusive junket room Lee used to operate in Macau.

Korean pitcher faces gambling charges amid bid to join MLB

A South Korean pitcher’s dream of playing in the Major Baseball League could be shattered over gambling charges.

Hanshin Tigers relief pitcher Oh Seung-Hwan will be summoned by Seoul prosecutors this week over illegal gambling overseas probe.

Oh was dragged into an illegal gambling hullabaloo after the prosecutors secured a list of Koreans who frequently go to gambling houses in Macau and other Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Philippines.

South Korea, which allows local residents to enter to just one of the country’s 17 casinos, also prohibits its citizens from gambleing abroad.  According to a former member of a Korean gang surnamed Lee, Oh gambled over 100 million won in the exclusive junket room Lee used to operate in Macau.

Major League Baseball first US league to sign up for sports betting data monitoring

Major League Baseball has inked a real-time betting data monitoring deal with UK firm Sport Integrity Monitor (SportIM).

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it marks the first US deal for SportIM and the first time a major North American pro sports league has signed with a company to provide real-time monitoring of betting activity. The deal will commence with the start of the 2016 MLB season.

SportIM provides real-time monitoring of both regulated and unregulated betting markets for signs of unusual betting patterns, which could indicate possible efforts by match-fixers to manipulate the outcome of sporting events. It’s up to the individual leagues to act should they suspect that SportIM’s data suggests possible chicanery.

SportIM, a subsidiary of the Genius Sports Group, counts the English Premier League and other major European leagues among its clientele. SportIM opened an office in Washington, DC earlier this year in a bid to bolster ties with US-based leagues.

Major League Baseball first US league to sign up for sports betting data monitoring

Major League Baseball has inked a real-time betting data monitoring deal with UK firm Sport Integrity Monitor (SportIM).

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it marks the first US deal for SportIM and the first time a major North American pro sports league has signed with a company to provide real-time monitoring of betting activity. The deal will commence with the start of the 2016 MLB season.

SportIM provides real-time monitoring of both regulated and unregulated betting markets for signs of unusual betting patterns, which could indicate possible efforts by match-fixers to manipulate the outcome of sporting events. It’s up to the individual leagues to act should they suspect that SportIM’s data suggests possible chicanery.

SportIM, a subsidiary of the Genius Sports Group, counts the English Premier League and other major European leagues among its clientele. SportIM opened an office in Washington, DC earlier this year in a bid to bolster ties with US-based leagues.

MLB Strikes Protective Global Data, Events  Deal

One might not think that baseball, compared to global sports like soccer and basketball, or a massive gambled-on sport like the NFL, would have gambling on their minds as a way to disrupt the game. However “America’s Game” has been marred by scandal in the past, and recently, the sport in Japan has been hit by a game-fixing scandal, with the Yomiuri Giants being handed an $800,000 fine earlier today.


So maybe it isn’t that surprising that MLB, under the progressive leadership of Rob Manfred, today announced a partnership with a company known for keeping some of Europe’s biggest leagues, The English Premier League,  Euroleague Basketball and the Football Association among them, scandal free when it comes to data and gambling. Sport Integrity Monitor announced their new partnership with MLB, and marking the first time any of the U.S. professional leagues have taken an advanced pre-emptive strike of such a larger scale to prevent issues in the future with regard to game fixing and the compromising of data in markets like Nevada where gambling is now legal in the U.S., as well as the millions of dollars that is gambled overseas.


 “Major League Baseball is pleased to work with Sport Integrity Monitor in this vital area, as this partnership will be an essential part of our initiatives to protect the game’s integrity.  We look forward to making use of SportIM’s expertise and market-leading monitoring solutions in order to ensure that we have accurate and timely intelligence,” Dan Halem, Chief Legal Officer of MLB, said in the release.


SportIM will monitor vast amounts of sports and wagering related data and statistics on behalf of MLB and report trends in real time. This new expanded monitoring program will help keep baseball at the forefront of security innovation as the global interest in baseball grows and fans in the United States and beyond move online to follow the action. The new partnership is an extension of MLB’s tough anti-corruption policy and its wide-ranging initiatives already in place. These proactive steps help to ensure that fans are always treated to a fair and transparent game, players have the utmost belief in having a winning mind-set, and league representatives are equipped with information and tools to maintain a clean, honest and exhilarating sport.


As legal sports gambling becomes more front and center in the United States, and the issues with DFS continue along, the integrity of data streams, as well as the credibility of those in the field, will come more into focus. While there is apparently no issue with MLB being compromised now, this move sends a loud and clear message to all that baseball is watching, and looking for improprieties, and that pre-emptive strike will be very helpful in maintaining security and integrity on and off the diamond for years to come for a game whose focus on technology and global growth is paramount.