The article explains that in response to recent gambling scandals, major US sports leagues—including Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Football League (NFL) —are imposing new restrictions on “prop bets,” especially micro-bets tied to individual plays, to protect the integrity of the games.

• After a federal indictment accusing Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis L. Ortiz of rigging specific pitches to influence prop bets, Major League Baseball and major sportsbooks agreed to cap bets on individual-pitch markets at $200 and to exclude those bets from parlays. 

• The crackdown reflects growing concern across major US sports leagues that “micro-bets” — wagers on events controlled by a single player (ball/strike calls, pitch velocity, individual plays) — pose a serious risk to integrity, given how easily they can be manipulated. 

• In response to the scandal and the broader betting-related concerns affecting multiple leagues, National Football League issued a memo restricting or prohibiting prop bets tied to one-play events, officiating, injuries, or other outcomes seen as vulnerable to exploitation — part of a wider effort to fend off integrity, legal, and reputational risks.

  “By limiting the ability to place large wagers on micro-prop bets, Major League Baseball is taking affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the game and reduce the incentives to participate in improper betting schemes," Says Bakowicz.

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