By MARTÍN ADAMES, Related Press
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Baseball and bets go hand-in-hand within the Dominican Republic, the place skilled athletes, musicians and even legislators go public with their wagers.
However for each authorized wager within the Caribbean nation, officers say there are numerous extra unlawful ones.
It’s a widespread, multimillion-dollar business that has come below scrutiny following U.S. federal indictments of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. They’re accused of taking bribes from unnamed sports activities bettors within the Dominican Republic to throw sure pitches and assist these bettors win at the least $460,000, in response to an indictment unsealed Sunday in New York. Ortiz and Clase have each pleaded not guilty.
The accusations have dismayed and embarrassed many within the gamers’ native nation.
“The case of Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz tarnishes the picture of Dominican baseball gamers,” stated José de los Santos, a fan of Dominican and Main League Baseball. “Actions of that nature put Dominican and Latino gamers within the highlight.”
The DR has 3,500 registered betting outlets, and people are simply the authorized ones
Sports activities betting outlets are widespread within the Dominican Republic, a rustic of greater than 11 million folks the place baseball is king.
In accordance with knowledge from the Dominican Affiliation of Sports activities Betting Retailers, there are about 3,500 registered companies, and numerous extra unlawful ones.
Quico Tabar, head of the nation’s nationwide lottery who was tasked by the president to manage playing, not too long ago said in a public letter that officers have been working for years to manage betting outlets however that “circumstances past our management” haven’t allowed that to occur. He didn’t elaborate.
For Raymond Jiménez, a self-described frequent sports activities gambler, it’s all the identical.
He stated he chooses the largest and closest companies that permit huge wagers, no matter whether or not they’re authorized or not.
“I don’t know of any unlawful betting outlets,” he stated.
Jiménez stated most bets within the Dominican Republic give attention to sports activities together with MLB, NBA and NFL video games.
“I’ve been playing since 1998, once I was underage,” Jiménez stated. “I used to leap the college fence to enter a betting store at 14 years previous. I’ve heard all the things, from athletes who promote themselves to gamblers to others who wager in opposition to them.”
Playing persists amid corruption
Legislators within the Dominican Republic are debating a invoice that may create a brand new entity to manage and oversee playing and set up penalties for non-compliance.
In the meantime, chatter concerning the Clase and Ortiz cases continues to dominate the information and social media, as does the case of Oscar Chalas, the Dominican Republic’s former director of casinos and playing. He reached a plea cope with prosecutors in late October and admitted accountability in amassing cash from unlawful betting outlets to permit them to maintain working.
Chalas informed a choose that every unlawful store paid as much as $100 a month, however that he didn’t bear in mind the overall quantity collected as a result of there have been “so many” of them. He additionally claimed {that a} former treasury minister knew and accredited of the scheme, in response to native media reviews.
The tempo of authorized and unlawful playing is simply anticipated to surge as native groups and followers put together for the Dominican Republic’s Skilled Baseball League ultimate early subsequent yr.
One of many nation’s most well-known public bets involving the native league came about earlier this yr. Corridor of Famer and former Pink Sox star David Ortiz provided followers a 1 million peso ($16,000) wager on social media in favor of the crew that went on to win the championship — he ended up with 15 million pesos ($240,000) on the road. That included a 2 million peso ($32,000) wager with Dominican city singer Bulin 47, however Ortiz forgave him after profitable: “You’re good to those that are poor,” he wrote.
