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San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban from MLB on Tuesday for violating the league’s gambling policy, according to a league announcement.

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on Tuesday received a lifetime ban from MLB for violating the league’s gambling policy.

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on Tuesday received a lifetime ban from MLB for violating the league’s gambling policy by betting more than $150K on baseball.

San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano on Tuesday received a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball (MLB) for violating the league's gambling policy by betting more than $150K on baseball games.

The 24-year-old Venezuelan became the first active player to be permanently banned for gambling since 1924, when New York Giants outfield Jimmy O’Connell was barred from the sport. Marcano used a legal sportsbook to make more than 387 bets on baseball totaling $150K.

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MLB announced that its investigation found that Marcano placed 231 bets on MLB, including 25 on Pirates games while he was a member of the club (although he didn’t appear in those games due to injury). MLB Rule 21 imposes a lifetime ban for betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform.

MLB announced that its investigation found Marcano placed 231 bets on MLB, including 25 on Pirates games while he was a member of the club (although he didn’t appear in those games due to injury). MLB Rule 21 imposes a lifetime ban for betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform.

MLB announced that its investigation found Marcano placed 231 bets on MLB — including 25 on Pirates games while he was then a member of the club (although he didn't appear in those specific games due to injury). MLB Rule 21 imposes a lifetime ban for betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform.

MLB said its investigation found Marcano placed 231 bets on baseball — 25 on Pirates games while he was then a member of the club (although he didn't appear in those games due to injury). MLB Rule 21 imposes a lifetime ban for betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform.

MLB’s investigation found that Marcano placed 231 bets on MLB, including 25 on Pirates games while he was a member of the club; however, he didn’t appear in any of those games due to injury. MLB Rule 21 imposes a lifetime ban for betting on a game in which the person has a duty to perform.

MLB obtained data from a legal sportsbook that detected gambling activity from Marcano and four other players: Oakland’s Michael Kelly, San Diego’s Jay Groome, Philadelphia’s José Rodríguez, and Arizona’s Andrew Saalfrank. They received one-year suspensions for betting on diamond sports — baseball or softball — but not games involving their teams.

MLB obtained data from a legal sportsbook that detected gambling activity from Marcano and four other players — Oakland's Michael Kelly, San Diego’s Jay Groome, Philadelphia's José Rodríguez, and Arizona's Andrew Saalfrank. They received one-year suspensions for betting on diamond sports — baseball or softball — but not games involving their teams.

MLB obtained data that detected gambling activity from Marcano Oakland's Michael Kelly, San Diego's Jay Groome, Philadelphia's José Rodríguez, and Arizona's Andrew Saalfrank. The others received one-year suspensions for betting on baseball or softball but not games involving their teams.

MLB obtained data from a legal sportsbook that detected gambling activity from Marcano and four other players: Oakland’s Michael Kelly, San Diego’s Jay Groome, Philadelphia’s José Rodríguez, and Arizona’s Andrew Saalfrank. They received one-year suspensions for betting on diamond sports – baseball or softball.

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Each of those players bet under $1K and were minor leaguers at the time, which also led to the lenient punishment. Meanwhile, Marcano bet on the outcomes of Pirates games, as well as over/under wagers on the number of total runs scored in a game.

Each of those players bet under $1K and were minor leaguers at the time, which also led to their lenient punishment. Meanwhile, Marcano bet on the outcomes of Pirates games, as well as over/under wagers on the number of total runs scored in a game.

Each of those players bet under $1K and were minor leaguers at the time, which also led to their lenient punishment. In addition to betting on the outcomes of Pirates games, as well Marcano bet the over/under on the total runs scored in a game.

Each of those players bet under $1K and were minor leaguers at the time, which also led to their lenient punishment. In addition to betting on the outcomes of Pirates games, Marcano also bet the over/under on the total runs scored in a game.

Each of those players bet under $1K and were minor leaguers at the time, which also led to their lenient punishment. In addition to betting on the outcomes of Pirates games, Marcano also bet the "over/under" on the total runs scored in a game.

Each of those players bet under $1K and were minor leaguers at the time, which led to the less severe punishment. Meanwhile, Marcano bet on the outcomes of Pirates games as well as over/under wagers on the number of total runs scored in a game.

Marcano becomes the first active player to be permanently banned for gambling since 1924, when New York Giants outfield Jimmy O’Connell was barred from the sport.

Marcano becomes the first active player to be permanently banned for gambling since 1924, when New York Giants outfield Jimmy O'Connell was barred from the sport.

Marcano becomes the first active player to be permanently banned for gambling since 1924 — when New York Giants outfield Jimmy O'Connell was barred from the sport.

In 2018 the Supreme Court struck down federal prohibitions on sports gambling, leading professional leagues to partner with sportsbooks in the following years. In 2024, Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA and Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was embroiled in a $16M gambling fraud scheme.

In 2018 the US Supreme Court struck down federal prohibitions on sports gambling, leading professional leagues to partner with sportsbooks in the following years. Since then, Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA this year and Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter was embroiled in a $16M gambling fraud scheme that came to light this spring.

In 2018 the US Supreme Court struck down federal prohibitions on sports gambling, leading professional leagues to partner with sportsbooks in the following years. Since then, Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA this year and Shohei Ohtani's interpreter was embroiled in a $16M gambling fraud scheme that came to light this spring.

In 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down federal prohibitions on sports gambling, leading professional leagues to partner with sportsbooks. Since then, Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA this year, and Shohei Ohtani's interpreter was embroiled in a $16M gambling scheme.

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Marcano almost certainly won’t be the last player to face a gambling ban. Pro sports leagues have opened up a can of worms by teaming with sportsbooks and promoting gambling, and it was only a matter of time before young men in sports started wagering. Players are responsible for their own actions, but MLB and other leagues share culpability in the gambling crisis that's unfolding in the world of sports.

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MLB will face a reckoning on gambling. Tucupita Marcano's lifetime ban is just the beginning.

MLB is operating in a whole new world since the Supreme Court legalized sports gambling and it became lucrative for professional leagues and teams to partner with betting entities. But MLB's system of policing worked — Marcano and the others clearly violated the rules, they were caught, and they were punished. This is how the world of sports is going to operate moving forward.

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Padres' Marcano Receives Lifetime Ban for Betting

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Marcano almost certainly won't be the last player to face a gambling ban. Pro sports leagues have opened up a can of worms by teaming with sportsbooks and promoting gambling, and it was only a matter of time before athletes started wagering. Players are responsible for their own actions, but MLB and other leagues share culpability in the gambling crisis that's unfolding across the world of sports.

There's a 50% chance that the last baseball World Series will be played by August 2019, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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MLB: Padres' Marcano Receives Lifetime Ban for Betting

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MLB: Padres' Marcano Receives Lifetime Ban for Betting

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