Luis Ortiz under investigation by MLB for microbetting
Luis Ortiz, a player for the Cleveland Guardians, is under investigation by Major League Baseball (MLB). Two of his pitches during two summer season games triggered unusual activity in microbets, which were noticed by a company that checks the integrity of bets. ESPN sources reported this on 3 July 2025.
According to the sources, in June, IC360 sent a warning to bookmakers regarding bets on Ortiz. In turn, MLB placed the player on non-disciplinary paid leave until 17 July.
Microbets on the outcome of the first pitch
The IC360 warning mentions Ortiz’s actions on the first pitches in selected innings of two games: June 15 and 27. The baseball player’s pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals were deemed to be aimed at the batter. In both cases, Ortiz threw the first slider, which flew far outside the strike zone.
After the report of Ortiz’s first pitches, multiple micro-bets were placed on online betting platforms in Ohio, New York, and New Jersey.
Ortiz was scheduled to start in the game against the Chicago Cubs on the evening of 3 July. However, following the warning, the league and the MLB Players Association sent him on paid leave until the All-Star Game. The Cleveland Guardians may extend this leave if the investigation remains open. According to Chris Antonetti, the team’s president of baseball operations, the team can maintain contact with Ortiz, but he is prohibited from visiting the Cleveland Guardians’ facilities.
MLB’s second investigation this year
In February of this year, MLB fired umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing his legal betting accounts with a partner who bet on baseball games, as well as for intentionally deleting emails related to the league’s investigation. Hoberg, known for his accuracy in umpiring, was fired in connection with a scandal involving the sharing of sports betting accounts.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred supported Hoberg’s dismissal, which was handed down by a disciplinary committee headed by Michael Hill. The accused will not be able to apply for reinstatement until spring training in 2026.
‘Strict adherence to Major League Baseball’s rules governing sports betting is critical to protecting our core value of preserving the integrity of our games for fans,’ Manfred emphasised.
Microbetting as a priority area for development
Along with the expansion and implementation of AI tools, microbetting has become one of DraftKings’ priority areas for 2025. It allows players to bet on specific events within a match, such as who will throw the next corner or whether the next pitch in baseball will be successful. Such bets already account for 36% of the total volume in baseball matches.
In June 2024, DraftKings-owned provider Simplebet announced that operators using its micro-betting products, including Caesars, bet365, and Hard Rock Bet, had taken bets totalling approximately $325 million. Nearly 13 million bets were placed on NBA 2024 games, with each category growing 75% compared to the NBA 2023 season.
In addition to the NBA, Simplebet noted several other professional sports that are seeing growth in microbetting. Following a strong 2023 season, in which the MLB micro-betting market doubled its annual volume, Simplebet reported a 157% increase in total betting volume during the first two weeks of the 2024 season. This figure includes approximately 100,000 new customers placing bets on micro-betting markets.
In an article for the SCCG blog, Steven Crystal, founder and CEO of SCCG, commented on the growth of the new market: ‘Microbetting is not just a feature; it’s the future. Whether it’s fans betting on the next serve in tennis or guessing the next three-point shot in an NBA game, this fast, intuitive style of betting is perfectly suited to modern consumption habits: short attention spans, mobile behaviour and real-time interaction.’
This article was first published in Russian on 8 July 2025.
