Hockey "not susceptible to outside influences" reckons NHL commish Gary Bettman, in aftermath of NBA gambling scandal

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman recently stated that hockey is not susceptible to outside influences, in the wake of an NBA gambling scandal.

On Thursday, U.S. authorities busted two major illegal gambling operations linked to the NBA. According to reports, more than 25 individuals were arrested across 11 states. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were the notable arrests made.

The schemes involved leaking confidential NBA information for betting purposes and rigging high-stakes poker games with Mafia involvement, defrauding victims of millions. In an interview with Sportsnet, Bettman addressed the situation, expressing strong confidence in the integrity of the game:

“The fact is the incident we had, (it) had nothing to do with betting on hockey,” Bettman said. “I really have confidence in our game, the integrity of our game, and the integrity that our players and all of our personnel bring to the game."

He added:

"If you look at the nature of our game, it’s not really susceptible to outside influences and our players play hard and to win every night. We know we have to be very mindful and we can’t take anything for granted, but I have confidence in what we do.”

Also Read: What Did The FBI Press Conference on NBA Gambling Investigation Tell Us? All Details We Know So Far

NHL enforces strict policy against gambling

The NHL released a memo in 2022 warning players and league personnel against betting on any National Hockey League game.

It cautions the players and league personnel that betting on any game, even where it is legal, is strictly forbidden and considered conduct that harms the league's reputation.

The NHL recently dealt with a similar case involving Ottawa Senators player Shane Pinto, who received a 41-game suspension in October 2023 for using third-party accounts to place bets.

This incident, however, did not involve manipulating performance for prop bets, in contrast to the allegations in the NBA gambling scandal.

Also Read: Shane Pinto speaks out about his league-first 41-game gambling suspension

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta