The Main League Baseball Gamers Affiliation (MLBPA) is open to stopping gamers from showing in customized sportsbook advertising and marketing related with VIP or tier applications. On the similar time, it desires MLB to assist wider restrictions on some bets tied to occasions throughout video games.
MLBPA Basic Counsel Jeffrey Perconte outlined that place in an August 24 response to Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Reps. Paul Tonko and Valerie Foushee. The lawmakers had written to the union on August 10 after a customized Bryce Harper video was reportedly despatched to a FanDuel VIP buyer fighting playing dependancy.
The problem has develop into a part of collective bargaining between MLB and the union, together with negotiations over the Sports activities Betting Coverage overlaying gamers. The MLBPA believes gamers ought to retain alternatives for sportsbook endorsements much like industrial relationships involving MLB and its golf equipment, however says these offers want boundaries.
“We don’t consider the power of gamers to enter into such agreements needs to be limitless, nevertheless,” Perconte wrote. “For instance, we’re ready to assist CBA restrictions that ban gamers from collaborating in customized advertising and marketing campaigns related to a VIP or tier program.”
MLBPA backs VIP advertising and marketing ban, seeks wider in-game betting limits
Past promoting, the MLBPA desires the league to assist pursue restrictions on proposition bets and occasion contracts decided by in-game efficiency. Its proposal may cowl wagers involving hits, runs, house runs, particular person pitches or at-bats and whether or not a participant suffers an damage.
“And whereas MLB has up to now rejected this proposal, we intend to proceed pursuing it,” Perconte wrote.
The union returned to that dispute when addressing whether or not fan safety ought to come earlier than playing income.
“MLB has up to now balked, however negotiations stay ongoing and gamers intend to proceed to push this proposal,” the MLBPA stated.
MLB has beforehand acted on narrower microbetting issues. In November 2025, licensed gaming operators started limiting pitch-level wagers to $200 and excluding these bets from parlays, after the league stated such markets created heightened integrity dangers.
Below the Sports activities Betting Coverage negotiated in 2022, gamers can not wager on baseball, prepare prohibited bets by others, knowingly profit from impermissible wagers or present confidential data for betting functions. A 2025 complement clarified that baseball prediction markets are additionally lined. A number of gamers suspended in 2024 for betting-policy violations have been reinstated after serving their penalties.
Sportsbook promotions stay permitted in some circumstances, and the union says most player-related campaigns use names, photographs, highlights or pictures passively. Present guidelines, nevertheless, don’t particularly deal with VIP applications.
“Our present insurance policies don’t explicitly reference or in any other case deal with the forms of ‘predatory VIP applications’ described in your August tenth letter,” Perconte wrote. “The Affiliation stands able to make proposals in an effort to fill that hole.”
The MLBPA additionally plans so as to add personalized-marketing dangers to its common participant schooling on dependancy, psychological well being and prohibited conduct.
“As famous above, the Affiliation is keen to undertake new restrictions banning participant participation in customized advertising and marketing campaigns that function as a part of a VIP or tier program,” Perconte wrote.
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