The hefty punishment meted out to Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto by the National Hockey League last week shocked the team’s supporters. Pinto was suspended for 41 games
Since it was the first NHL player punishment for gambling-related offenses since 1947, concerns have been raised regarding what exactly qualifies as appropriate player behavior.
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The suspension raises additional worries that players may become more susceptible as a result of the NHL’s tight ties to websites that offer legal gambling, including advertising within games.
approved by the U.S. Supreme Court outside of Nevada in 2018, which subsequently resulted in sponsorship agreements between betting sites and the NHL.
In 2021, Canada legalized single-event betting. That same season, the Senators attached Bet99 advertising insignia to players’ helmets during games.
Postmedia examines the factors that went into the NHL’s Pinto case ruling as well as the environment surrounding player gambling.
What is the NHL’s gambling policy?
It is explicitly stated in the collective agreement between the NHL and the players’ association that “gambling on any NHL game is prohibited.”
Nonetheless, bettors are allowed to wager on any sports league, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association.
Pinto did not directly wager on NHL games, as the NHL has stated, but the organization remained quiet about the specific actions that the 22-year-old took to warrant his ban.
The CBA also has a vast, extra gray area that pertains to penalty for actions deemed to be “detrimental to the welfare of the league or the game of hockey.”
