Player suspended for sports betting issue

[GKJ]

Pinto lost the ability to sign a contract now and be paid on it before the suspension ends in January.

If he’s not signed, is he not ineligible to sign after December 1?

 

[mouser]

If he’s not signed, is he not ineligible to sign after December 1?

The Dec 1st signing date only applies to CBA 10.2(a) “Group 2“ RFAs.

Pinto is a CBA 10.2(c) RFA “players with less than three years of professional experience”. So he’s eligible to sign after Dec 1st.

 

[mouser]

Sources are suggesting the issue revolved around proxy betting on Pinto’s account. Meaning someone other than Pinto was placing bets on his account. Proxy betting is barred on most if not all gambling platforms. There are some possible factors which could have been influenced the severity of the punishment:

- Were any bets placed on Pinto’s account while he was physically located in a place where his gambling platform was not legal?
- Did the “proxy” place any bets on NHL action?

The more I read, my current guess is the “proxy” with access to Pinto’s [presumably online] gambling account placed bets on NHL action.

Thought process:
- The NHLPA and NHL negotiated a 41 game suspension without appeal.
- Media reports the NHL could have handed down an even longer suspension without the NHLPA deal.
- The NHL announcement included a statement that the NHL found no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games.
- Important absent nuance is the “proxy” could have used Pinto’s registered gambling account to place NHL bets without Pinto’s approval.
- Media reports suggest this potential gambling violation investigation by the NHL started in August, thus has been ongoing for at least a couple months.

It’s challenging for me to come up with any suspension justifying half a season or more without NHL betting involved—importantly the PA agreed to the suspension without appeal. Guessing the NHLPA and NHL negotiated the suspension accepting Pinto’s account was used for NHL betting while agreeing Pinto didn’t directly bet himself or approve those NHL bets.


p.s. I reserve the right to change my guess if new details arise

 

[Yukon Joe]

Again, this is an instance of the league trying to bury a story, which I don't think is really possible in this day and age.

41 games is massive. Precedent-setting. I can't think of a player ever being suspended for that long. But the league refuses to provide any details about what Pinto did.

The effect is going to be however that the speculation and wondering is going to keep this story alive for far longer than if the league just came out and gave a full explanation of what happened.

 

[jkrdevil]

The more I read, my current guess is the “proxy” with access to Pinto’s [presumably online] gambling account placed bets on NHL action.

Thought process:
- The NHLPA and NHL negotiated a 41 game suspension without appeal.
- Media reports the NHL could have handed down an even longer suspension without the NHLPA deal.
- The NHL announcement included a statement that the NHL found no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games.
- Important absent nuance is the “proxy” could have used Pinto’s registered gambling account to place NHL bets without Pinto’s approval.
- Media reports suggest this potential gambling violation investigation by the NHL started in August, thus has been ongoing for at least a couple months.

It’s challenging for me to come up with any suspension justifying half a season or more without NHL betting involved—importantly the PA agreed to the suspension without appeal. Guessing the NHLPA and NHL negotiated the suspension accepting Pinto’s account was used for NHL betting while agreeing Pinto didn’t directly bet himself or approve those NHL bets.


p.s. I reserve the right to change my guess if new details arise

I’m assuming “proxy” is a family member given it appears to be under Pinto’s name, but who would allow someone else to use their gambling accounts? This isn’t like sharing a Netflix account you have to pay for the bets and you can get in a lot financial trouble letting someone bet under you name (putting aside rules for athletes).

Aren’t proxies typically used the other way, people having other people bet for them to hide the source of the money?

 

[mouser]

The more I read, my current guess is the “proxy” with access to Pinto’s [presumably online] gambling account placed bets on NHL action.

Thought process:
- The NHLPA and NHL negotiated a 41 game suspension without appeal.
- Media reports the NHL could have handed down an even longer suspension without the NHLPA deal.
- The NHL announcement included a statement that the NHL found no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games.
- Important absent nuance is the “proxy” could have used Pinto’s registered gambling account to place NHL bets without Pinto’s approval.
- Media reports suggest this potential gambling violation investigation by the NHL started in August, thus has been ongoing for at least a couple months.

It’s challenging for me to come up with any suspension justifying half a season or more without NHL betting involved—importantly the PA agreed to the suspension without appeal. Guessing the NHLPA and NHL negotiated the suspension accepting Pinto’s account was used for NHL betting while agreeing Pinto didn’t directly bet himself or approve those NHL bets.


p.s. I reserve the right to change my guess if new details arise

Another possibility that occurred to me is bets were placed, with or without Pinto's approval, on NHL action, but not actual game outcomes. For example, betting that Pinto or some other player would score a goal in the game.

 

[Crease]

41 games is a ton so my mind goes directly to him gambling on NHL games, directly or through third parties. Can’t imagine him getting 41 games for an NFL parlay or something like that, especially when 41 was a negotiated resolution.

 

[Yukon Joe]

41 games is a ton so my mind goes directly to him gambling on NHL games, directly or through third parties. Can’t imagine him getting 41 games for an NFL parlay or something like that, especially when 41 was a negotiated resolution.

My educated guess (and that's all it is) is bets were made on the NHL on Pinto's account, he said it was a third party who made the bets, league couldn't prove that Pinto directed the bets but obviously very high suspicion, so rather than fight it out over whether or not Pinto directed the bets they both agreed on the 41 game suspension.

41 games is way more than you'd think based on what is public, but way less than if they could establish Pinto directed the bets. So they cut the salami in the middle.

 

[edog37]

This is a clear line in the sand that no league can ignore.

If you're involved in the NHL, you cannot bet on the NHL under any circumstance whatsoever. Never, ever, never.

But that all being said, the NHL (and other leagues) are so far in bed with betting sites and sportsbooks now and their broadcasting brings it up so damn much that it's really hard to cede the NHL the moral high ground here.

Doesn’t matter…gambling is in the contract. Pretty cut & dry.

 

[Crease]

This is a clear line in the sand that no league can ignore.

If you're involved in the NHL, you cannot bet on the NHL under any circumstance whatsoever. Never, ever, never.

But that all being said, the NHL (and other leagues) are so far in bed with betting sites and sportsbooks now and their broadcasting brings it up so damn much that it's really hard to cede the NHL the moral high ground here.

Yep, this suspension is not for the fans. It’s for the gamblers.

 

[LadyStanley]

NHLPA having zoom calls this coming week M-W to answer questions from players.

And some do/n'ts.

 

[LadyStanley]

Some possible reasons that caused the penalty.

 

[LadyStanley]

Saga coming to end.