Major League Baseball (MLB) is inclined towards gambling due to the potential to earn increased revenue, as long as the basic ethics remain.
However, in today’s time, this is more wishful thinking rather than practical possibility. Cases of illegal gambling seem to be mushrooming by the day, some cases being termed extreme, some not so much so.
Enough is never enough, seems to be the tagline in terms of more earning possibilities. This paved the way for illegal wagering on professional games like baseball and other sports by the professional players themselves. The present dictum is a bit of wagering money on the sidelines, irrespective of the damages involved.
Case in point is the Manager of Washington Nationals, Dave Martinez, who has witnessed, in his long career, players such as Pete Rose, who was handed down a lifetime ban, pertaining to wagering on a baseball game as early as 1989.
On being asked for his opinion on the recent ban regarding the infielder of San Diego Padres, Tucupita Marcano, his reply flew straight as an arrow. He quoted the officials of MLB asking players to refrain from the urge to lay wagers on baseball games as they come with serious consequences, as with Marcano, but the fact is, is that enough.
It is common to view the array of advertisements about sports in general, helping to bring the feeling of excitement for sports enthusiasts. However, leagues such as MLB, though they are seemingly touchy about any illegal activities related to the sport, cannot resist the extra revenue generation. Therefore, they link up with various sports wagering operators without realizing they are the ones who are pushing people towards sports wagering, legal or otherwise. This is indeed a catch-22 situation.