Gary Bettman defends NHL’s integrity as league eyes expanded oversight tools amid wider gambling scandals

Several gambling scandals person dominated headlines crossed the sports satellite successful caller weeks and months.

On Tuesday, longtime NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman touched connected the taxable during a wide-ranging interview. The league precocious struck a concern with starring prediction marketplace platforms Kalshi and Polymarket.

Bettman argued that the harmony betwixt prediction markets and sports betting positions the NHL to person amended oversight and yet much powerfulness to "take down immoderate contracts that we don’t deliberation are appropriate."

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media anterior to crippled betwixt the Edmonton Oilers and the Ottawa Senators astatine the Canadian Tire Centre.  (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)

While nary existent NHL players oregon coaches person been implicated successful the caller scandals that person rocked the NBA and MLB, Bettman believes the apical pro hockey league is positioned to debar akin issues.

"I don’t judge our crippled is susceptible successful the mode that immoderate others mightiness beryllium ... you can’t truly get distant with that benignant of cheating anymore," Bettman told CNBC.

In aboriginal November, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and All-Star pitcher Emmanuel Clase were the targets of the probe and the 2 look charges successful the alleged scheme.

Emmanuel Clase, left, and Luis Ortiz, were indicted successful a national gambling probe connected Nov. 9, 2025. (IMAGN)

The pitchers look charges of ligament fraud, ligament fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to power sporting contests by bribery and wealth laundering. Both pitchers pleaded not blameworthy to the charges.

Also, past month, the NBA was rocked by a wide betting investigation. Dozens of individuals with ties to the league, including a existent caput coach, were arrested connected Oct. 23.

Despite Bettman's assertion that the league helium oversees is not presently constricted successful its imaginable problematic gambling exposure, a look backmost reveals the analyzable past the league and betting share.

NHL logos are seen connected the Delta Center windows connected April 19, 2024, successful Salt Lake City, Utah. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

In 2003, Jaromir Jagr reflected connected the decisions helium made that led up to $500,000 successful betting losses done an online gambling site. Jagr spent much than a quarter-century successful the NHL, playing for 9 franchises. He past appeared successful an NHL crippled for the Calgary Flames during the 2017-18 season.

Despite acknowledging helium made missteps, Jagr insisted helium did not prosecute successful amerciable gambling activity.  

"It was 1998, and I made mistakes," Jagr, who played for the Washington Capitals astatine the time, told reporters. "I conscionable wasn’t smart. It was stupid. It wasn’t illegal, and it was 5 years ago. Everything was taken attraction of successful 1999. That’s each I tin archer you."

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Several decades earlier Jagr ever took the ice, Don Gallinger was astatine the halfway of a high-profile gambling scandal. The NHL suspended Gallinger connected an indefinite ground successful 1948 aft an probe determined helium placed wagers connected Boston Bruins games. Billy Taylor, Gallinger's teammate astatine the time, besides faced punishment. 

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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