On Thursday, the NHL suspended forward Shane Pinto of the Ottawa Senators for 41 games, making the 22-year-old American the first player banned for sports gambling in modern hockey history.
According to the league, Pinto’s half-season punishment was imposed for “activities relating to sports wagering,” and their inquiry turned up no proof that Pinto placed NHL game wagers. Other information, such as what Pinto did or how he was apprehended, was withheld.
According to a statement issued by the team, Pinto apologized to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, his colleagues, the Ottawa community, the fans, and most importantly, his family. “I am fully accountable for my actions, and I am excited to rejoin my team on the ice.”
As part of a resolution reached by the NHL Players’ Association, the league, and Pinto, the player, Pinto are not contesting the ban. Unless there is fresh information in the investigation, the league stated that it views the subject as closed.
At the team’s morning practice in New York, coach D.J. Smith assured the media that Pinto would get support from the Senators and an open welcome back when he is cleared to play again.
That would be, assuming Pinto signs a contract, midway through this season. This ban starts to explain why he was the last player in that category to go unsigned and become a restricted free agent.
“The National Hockey League has suspended Shane, a valued member of our hockey club; a charming, intelligent young man, as a result of his poor decisions,” the Senators stated in a statement. “We are aware of his regret for his errors. The NHL’s gambling regulations have the full approval of the Ottawa Senators. Although the news of this problem is disappointing, the entire organization is still dedicated to Shane and will cooperate to take whatever action is required to give him the support he needs to overcome his problems and grow into a valuable member of our community.
Pinto is the most recent professional athlete to be suspended since the United States Supreme Court made legal sports betting possible in 2018. A minimum of ten NFL players have been suspended for gaming, with wide receiver Calvin Ridley being the most notable to miss the whole 2022 season due to wagering on league games. Though the issue is becoming more and more of a concern in collegiate sports, neither the NBA nor Major League Baseball have recently announced any gambling-related sanctions.
Industry estimates state that in the five years following the Supreme Court ruling, Americans have gambled more than $220 billion on sports.
According to the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement, it is forbidden to gamble on any NHL game. NHL teams have the authority to forbid their staff members from participating in paid fantasy hockey leagues, even if they work in business operations.
The Senators were the first club to include a company associated with gambling as a helmet sponsor in 2021 when they signed Bet99. The worldwide gambling corporation Betway’s emblem is currently shown on their home helmets.
After his separated wife claimed he bet on NHL games, including ones against his own team, the league opened an investigation into Evander Kane’s gambling behavior two years ago. Kane refuted those claims, and an NHL security probe, along with an inquiry by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, found no proof that Kane attempted to rig any games or placed bets.
Billy Taylor, Don Gallinger, and Babe Pratt were the previous NHL players to receive a gambling suspension prior to Pinto, and that was in the 1940s.