- A controversial partnership between the MLB Players Association and Hard Rock Bet grants the sportsbook access to player name, image, and likeness for betting markets.
- That allows Hard Rock to add player headshots for player prop markets, which are most susceptible to betting manipulation.
- The partnership raises questions around player protection and betting integrity for athlete images selling bets.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Players are the product when it comes to sports betting, and the MLB Players Association naming Hard Rock Bet as an officially licensed sportsbook partner proves that idea. The MLBPA’s role is to protect the players, but does this partnership protect the integrity of those games or just the players’ wallets?
At the same time that the NCAA has had numerous instances of players agreeing to underperform for paying bettors, the MLB Players Association is licensing their players’ faces to appear inside Hard Rock’s player prop betting interfaces. Most recently, a Fordham basketball scandal resulted in two student-athletes agreeing to throw the game in exchange for $10,000 each, which is just one of many instances of integrity issues in the college landscape.
The partnership between the MLB Players Association and Hard Rock Bet shows a juxtaposition between college and professional sports. While MLB players have more financial security than collegiate student athletes, player identity driving prop market engagement raises questions about player protection and game integrity. Prop betting markets are the most vulnerable to manipulation and creates a questionable partnership.
Details Of MLBPA’s Partnership With Hard Rock Bet
Despite only being available in 10 states with legal sports betting, Hard Rock Bet joins FanDuel and BetMGM as the primary official sports betting partners of Major League Baseball. The partnership allows Hard Rock to launch player imagery across digital and retail Hard Rock platforms in a long-term deal.
“Fans connect to athletes,” said Evan Kaplan, President of MLB Players, Inc. in a statement. “As sports betting continues to evolve, the experience is shifting from a screen full of odds to something more recognizable, more intuitive, and closer to the game itself. This partnership with Hard Rock Digital ensures that connection is authentic, licensed, and reflective of the value MLB players bring to the game.”
