Shane Pinto being suspended 41 games for sports gambling

[Bubbles]

There are also intricacies, not necessarily to this case, that many aren't considering. You can place bets on things like over/under shots for a particular player. Who's to say Player X might not tell his buddy to bet the under on shots for a game, and then Player X always looks for the extra pass in a game -- or vice versa.

Betting is no longer just "this team wins" or "this team covers the spread."

My thinking was that he knew who the new owner was, and fed that information to a "third party" and that third party made a bet on Michael Andlauer. I'm sure there was a prop bet for who the new owner was going to be.

So not betting on a game, but still hockey-related.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

I think the hypocrisy has been spelled out numerous times in this thread alone.

The NHL & sports networks have embraced gambling. And by embraced I mean fell head over heels madly in love, lets get married right now, today.

The NHL, MLSE, all the other ownership groups, the sports networks and the athletes all saw the massive profit potential and grabbed it. Perhaps no more obvious was this love affair displayed than in Ontario once the province loosened its gambling laws.

Almost overnight we got Gretzky, McDavid, Pronger, GSP, Matthews, that annoying punk from Breaking Bad shoving the betting apps down our throats. Pervasive ads everywhere in game, on the boards, in the graphics. All with zero understanding or concern for the effects of sports gambling on people, esp. when pushed by the stars.

And a vivid example of that is how now Ontario (& others?) are pulling back - After "studies" have shown that stars pushing gambling have dramatically increased betting on sports by teenagers they're banning using pro athletes in their ads. "Gee, ya think? Why didn't we think of that before!"

Do not be confused, the NHL's rush to profit off sports gambling led them to completely dismiss and deflect from any effects advertising gambling would have on not only its fans but its players.

So hypocrisy? Yes, the NHL and the networks are sending the message to everyone that sports gambling is great - including integration with broadcasts featuring before game & intermission segments with pros giving tips, money lines, etc - but then the league puts restrictions on what players can bet on.

This shows a complete lack of understanding by the NHL, networks, teams and players the effects of gambling. Simply put in an analogy: NHL says "Cigarettes are great! Here's some ads for Marlboro! And here's Mario to help you decide the best ones!" Then: "But ... you can only have 5 a day or you're in violation of league substance abuse rules". Once addicted to nicotine, no one can keep to 5 cigarettes per day.

That’s not hypocrisy. Hypocrisy would be the league taking money and then saying the players can not use these services for anything at all ever for any form of gambling. Every league has rules about gambling when it comes to the sport the athlete is playing. The NHLPA agreed to this. There were rules that were broken or the spirit of the rule was broken via a third party. SP many not have bet on NHL games, but someone in very close proximity to him apparently was and it set of the NHL’s watch dogs. He probably walked into the gray area of he wasn’t directly betting but someone was using information from him to place bets. That would be my guess. That’s just playing to close to the fire that he should have known there was at least a chance he got burnt.

Not completely analogous but for my work I am forbidden from any THC/CBD products, I am in the military. But on the facilities I work at they sell products that contain it for the non-military and vets. If I were to buy and use one of those products it’s game over. No questions asked I loose my career instantly. It’s my responsibility to know what I am putting into my body no one else’s and it’s my ass if I don’t. I know the rules and do not break them. It’s not hypocrisy. It’s knowing the rules.

We will never know the nuances of what really happened with SP and the gambling. But it’s like I said. He probably walked out into the gray area of the rules and got caught. That’s life. Don’t play so close to the fire next time.

 

[Bruin4Life]

NHL heavily invests in gambling ads.
NHL also bans player for gambling somewhere else.

This is probably the biggest brain play ever

 

[MMC]

 

[Pablo El Perro]

If he doesn't sign, will this suspension burn off an RFA year?

 

[BelovedIsles]

I don’t think he should be getting in his own sport; conflict of interest. That said, 41 games is too harsh.

 

[jcs0218]

I have read two things in the news:

1 - Pinto didn't bet on NHL games.
2 - Betting on other sports is permitted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

So what is the issue and why was he suspended?

Surely he wasn't betting on CHL, AHL, etc. games.

 

[boredmale]

 

[Golden_Jet]

Pretty sure the language they used was something along the lines of "to the best of their knowledge, Shane pinto never bet on the NHL"

But that is grey language for a reason. Perhaps Pinto's father, or someone else he is connected to did.

Regardless, the kid wouldn't have been suspended for that long if there wasn't some kind of NHL betting he is connected to going on.

There was proxy betting basically which is against the law in some states, we don’t the sport.
Here’s the exact wording , somehow capitalized during cut and paste.

THE LEAGUE'S INVESTIGATION FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT PINTO MADE ANY WAGERS ON NHL GAMES.

It wasn’t to the best of our knowledge

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

I'm biased because I despise all of the gambling ads but I'll ask anyway: Why is it OK for the NHL to heavily promote sports gambling and make money off of it but derail the career of a player that bet on hockey? I know it's wrong if Pinto bet on any NHL hockey games but the NHL is all in on betting on NHL hockey games. How does this make sense? And if you say because Pinto could have affected a game he played in, well, the NHL officiates games so I don't see a difference there.

 

[Mach2]

Pinto did an end-run and was caught using a proxy for his bets. No sympathy here.
I fail to see anything good coming from the NHL's brain-dead decision to get involved with the gambling industry.

 

[inthewings]

I'm biased because I despise all of the gambling ads but I'll ask anyway: Why is it OK for the NHL to heavily promote sports gabling and make money off of it but derail the career of a player that bet on hockey? I know it's wrong if Pinto bet on any NHL hockey games but the NHL is all in on betting on NHL hockey games. How does this make sense? And if you say because Pinto could have affected a game he played in, well, the NHL officiates games so I don't see a difference there.

Look up the 1919 white Sox as an example of why players have been prohibited from betting their own sport for well over 100 years.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Look up the 1919 white Sox as an example of why players have been prohibited from betting their own sport for well over 100 years.

Not my point. I said I think it's wrong Pinto bet on sports (and let's be honest, hockey must have been involved). My point is it's hypocritical for the NHL to aggressively court sports betting ad revenue and paste it all over the screen in every game I watch then have an issue with players gambling. Especially when the NHL has way more influence over games than any individual player.

 

[inthewings]

Not my point. I said I think it's wrong Pinto bet on sports (and let's be honest, hockey must have been involved). My point is it's hypocritical for the NHL to aggressively court sports betting ad revenue and paste it all over the screen in every game I watch then have an issue with players gambling. Especially when the NHL has way more influence over games than any individual player.

I don't think it's hypocritical at all. NHL players are allowed to bet on any sport except hockey, and the reasons for that restriction have been obvious for over a century.

 

[JustNapalmIt]

Just listened to @FriedgeHNIC podcast on this. His seemingly unquestioned acceptance of the "dog ate my homework" excuse (is my buddy was using my account) and no real reference to the details of what/how much was being bet on was very, very disappointing.
Like zero substantiation of anything.

 

[RegDunlop]

Love this tune!!!

 

[BTO]

I think the hypocrisy has been spelled out numerous times in this thread alone.

The NHL & sports networks have embraced gambling. And by embraced I mean fell head over heels madly in love, lets get married right now, today.

The NHL, MLSE, all the other ownership groups, the sports networks and the athletes all saw the massive profit potential and grabbed it. Perhaps no more obvious was this love affair displayed than in Ontario once the province loosened its gambling laws.

Almost overnight we got Gretzky, McDavid, Pronger, GSP, Matthews, that annoying punk from Breaking Bad shoving the betting apps down our throats. Pervasive ads everywhere in game, on the boards, in the graphics. All with zero understanding or concern for the effects of sports gambling on people, esp. when pushed by the stars.

And a vivid example of that is how now Ontario (& others?) are pulling back - After "studies" have shown that stars pushing gambling have dramatically increased betting on sports by teenagers they're banning using pro athletes in their ads. "Gee, ya think? Why didn't we think of that before!"

Do not be confused, the NHL's rush to profit off sports gambling led them to completely dismiss and deflect from any effects advertising gambling would have on not only its fans but its players.

So hypocrisy? Yes, the NHL and the networks are sending the message to everyone that sports gambling is great - including integration with broadcasts featuring before game & intermission segments with pros giving tips, money lines, etc - but then the league puts restrictions on what players can bet on.

This shows a complete lack of understanding by the NHL, networks, teams and players the effects of gambling. Simply put in an analogy: NHL says "Cigarettes are great! Here's some ads for Marlboro! And here's Mario to help you decide the best ones!" Then: "But ... you can only have 5 a day or you're in violation of league substance abuse rules". Once addicted to nicotine, no one can keep to 5 cigarettes per day.

Great post.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Look up the 1919 white Sox as an example of why players have been prohibited from betting their own sport for well over 100 years.

Yeah, pretty sure those weren't bets that were legal in any fashion.

 

[Ratbath]

I wish people would attempt to read at least just a little bit before posting their dumbass hot takes that have already appeared a hundred times in the thread

 

[Max McBolt]

I have read two things in the news:

1 - Pinto didn't bet on NHL games.
2 - Betting on other sports is permitted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

So what is the issue and why was he suspended?

Surely he wasn't betting on CHL, AHL, etc. games.

No proof that Pinto bet himself on NHL games.
And yes betting on other sports is permitted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Read between the lines : bet was 100% related to the NHL.
Could have been someone else using his account, could have been him using a proxy.

The betting company flagged the bet and reached out to the NHL per Pierre Lebrun.

I don’t think he should be getting in his own sport; conflict of interest. That said, 41 games is too harsh.

Bettman wanted the supension to be way more than that according to Lebrun.
There was a negociation between the Players Association and the NHL so that they wouldn't turn around and appeal the lenght.
Shane Pinto himself agreed to that length.

Anything related to betting on your own sport affects the integrity the sport, punishment should be as harsh as possible.

 

[JustNapalmIt]

No proof that Pinto bet himself on NHL games.
And yes betting on other sports is permitted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Read between the lines : bet was 100% related to the NHL.
Could have been someone else using his account, could have been him using a proxy.

The betting company flagged the bet and reached out to the NHL per Pierre Lebrun.

Bettman wanted the supension to be way more than that according to Lebrun.
There was a negociation between the Players Association and the NHL so that they wouldn't turn around and appeal the lenght.
Shane Pinto himself agreed to that length.

Anything related to betting on your own sport affects the integrity the sport, punishment should be as harsh as possible.

Theres plenty of proof he bet on NHL games. As in it was his account that was used. It was whitewashed in the media (ie the seemingly blind acceptance of the laughable defence on its face)
I'm curious as to the actual evidence & due diligence they used to buy unto the "dog ate my homework" bit.
I'm also curious as to whether Sens games were bet on.

 

[ClydeLee]

Theres plenty of proof he bet on NHL games. As in it was his account that was used. It was whitewashed in the media (ie the seemingly blind acceptance of the laughable defence on its face)
I'm curious as to the actual evidence & due diligence they used to buy unto the "dog ate my homework" bit.
I'm also curious as to whether Sens games were bet on.

They wouldnt be just looking for 1 season or settling for a half season if he bet on his own games.

 

[Divine]

They wouldnt be just looking for 1 season or settling for a half season if he bet on his own games.

Yes they would. Pinto has one of the longest suspensions in NHL history AND it was reduced in exchange for him not being able to appeal.

Also, players have been suspended for gambling on their own games before and got less than Pinto did after admitting to it.

The longest suspensions in NHL history

Where does Shane Pinto’s 41-game ban rank among the largest ever handed out?

www.dailyfaceoff.com

It was 75 years ago when the NHL first cracked down on gambling after several Boston Bruins players were exposed for betting on their own team. Gallinger, Taylor and Pratt received lifetime bans for their involvement. Pratt’s was lifted after only nine games when he fully confessed to what he had done, whereas Gallinger’s and Taylor’s stood until they were lifted in 1970.

Shane Pinto worked with the NHLPA to 'negotiate' this suspension in return for forfeiting his ability to appeal. It seems the actual suspension would be much longer if those were the terms Pinto agreed to after admitting what he did.

 

[Bowski]

That's a hefty suspension.
Is this his legal/financial/tax advisor?

 

[JustNapalmIt]

They wouldnt be just looking for 1 season or settling for a half season if he bet on his own games.

Well, who knows. There's zero substantiation for the "dog ate my homework" or any info of games that were bet on.
Its kinda a whitewash on its face.