Manipulation of games
Two athletes face 65 years in prison
11/10/2025 – 8:53 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Betting fraud and manipulation is an issue in several sports and leagues. There is now a new case in the USA.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz face decades in prison. The two pitchers of the Cleveland Guardians from the North American Major League Baseball (MLB) have been charged by the public prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York – for alleged game fixing in connection with betting fraud.
As the 23-page indictment shows, the two are said to have deliberately agreed on certain litters. This enabled special bets on “Ball” or “Strike”. If convicted on all charges, both could receive up to 65 years in prison.
Ortiz was arrested in Boston on Sunday. Clase is currently still at large. Both players had already been suspended by their club in the summer.
According to ESPN, Ortiz and Clase are said to have deliberately manipulated on June 15th: Ortiz received $5,000 for an intentional miss, and Clase received the same amount for the “aid”. On June 27th, the duo is said to have struck again – this time for $7,000 each. Two punters are said to have earned at least $450,000 through the arrangements.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the investigation dates back to spring 2023. Accordingly, Clase had already agreed on certain throwing patterns with a betting customer in May of last year. Ortiz joined the plot in June 2025.
The allegations are serious: The charges include, among other things, conspiratorial fraud (up to 20 years in prison), aiding and abetting fraud (also 20 years), conspiratorial money laundering (20 years) and bribery in sports (5 years).
Clase, a three-time all-star and one of the best closers in the league, would have received a salary of around $26 million over the next three years. Ortiz was under contract for 2026 at an annual salary of $820,000. According to ESPN, these are the most serious allegations against active professional baseball players since Pete Rose was banned for life in 1989.