MLB Strikes Deal with Top Prediction Market as League Grapples With Multiple Betting Scandals

FILE – The Major League Baseball logo is seen on the field before a spring training baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Bradenton, Fla. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)

The MLB is getting into the prediction market game, announcing Thursday it entered an agreement with Polymarket on a multi-year deal.

A report from The Wall Street Journal described the partnership as a “licensing deal,” which will give Polymarket “exclusive access to its data and iconography.”

The report continued:

Many pro sports leagues, including MLB, have aligned with traditional sportsbooks in recent years. But the sudden rise of the prediction markets, fueled by millions of traders eager to place “yes” or “no” wagers on sports and other real-world events, has opened a new front that a number of leagues have opted to no longer ignore.

As noted by WSJ, the deal came at a time when the MLB was still dealing with a betting scandal involving one of its star players.

Months earlier, Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase — as well as fellow Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz — was charged for his alleged role in a betting operation. The two were accused of fixing pitches for money. At the time of this writing, the MLB was still investigating the matter.

In June 2024, former San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was slapped with the rare lifetime ban. The league found that Marcano placed nearly 400 bets between 2022 and 2023.

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