NHL: Shane Pinto’s Severe Penalty For Gambling, A 41-Game Ban
This prohibition on off-ice pursuits is one of the strictest in hockey history.
Shane Pinto, an unsigned forward for the Ottawa Senators, was suspended for 41 games after the NHL concluded its investigation into his sports betting operations this week.
In hockey history, it is one of the harshest suspensions for off-ice activities. The league announced on Thursday that there was no proof Pinto placed an NHL game wager during the inquiry.
After the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting in 2018, countless agreements between leagues and sportsbooks, data providers, and other wagering-related companies ensued. Pinto is the most recent professional athlete to face a suspension for gambling-related offenses.
What gambling policy does the NHL have?
In the collective bargaining agreement, the only statement on the issue is “Gambling in any NHL game is prohibited.” Although professional leagues generally take this position, things may change in 2026 when the present CBA ends and a new one negotiated in the context of legally permitted betting throughout the continent.
NHL teams, for example, have the authority to forbid their staff members involved in business operations or hockey from ever participating in paid fantasy leagues. Given the breadth of full-season and daily fantasy game choices, the definition of gambling is still a matter of discussion, although it could be addressed in more detail.
What transpired in this instance?
The only thing the NHL will say is that Pinto did not bet on league games, and the suspension lasting half a season suggests as much. If Pinto had placed a wager on NHL games, Commissioner Gary Bettman would have imposed a harsher ban.
For their involvement in gambling, at least ten NFL players have received suspensions; Josh Shaw was suspended from 2019 until the conclusion of the 2020 season, while Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entirety of 2022. Earlier this year, Ridley was reinstated, but Shaw hasn’t been on the pitch since.
Which is the most recent precedent?
Allegations made by the player’s estranged wife that Evander Kane gambled on games, even against his club, were investigated two years ago by NHL security and the firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. The inquiry confirmed Kane’s strong denial by finding no proof that he attempted to rig any games or place bets.
Since the 1940s, Pinto has been the first NHL player to face a gambling suspension.
Following their 1948 suspensions for Bruins wagering, Boston players Billy Taylor and Don Gallinger were allowed to return in 1970. The Hall of Fame eventually accepted Walter Pratt despite his nine-game betting suspension.
Is the entire investigation working?
Analysts have stated that determining a player’s betting location should be the first step. To facilitate data and information exchange and identify any potential red flags, the NHL has partnered with sportsbooks in six different ways.
When questions over the Kane claims first arose in 2021, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly responded, saying, “We regularly use a number of third-party resources to monitor betting actions on our games.”
The NHL’s “integrity services provider” is Sportradar; other players in that market include US Integrity and Genius Sports. An impartial integrity unit was established in tennis to identify questionable trends and impose sanctions after match-fixing and betting anomalies were exposed during the previous 20 years.
Similar to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the NHL has agreements in place that may obligate it to assist with investigations and provide records beyond the strict privacy rules in Europe and North America if it sells data to licensed bookmakers.
Experts have stated that it may be much harder to get evidence if an athlete bets only illegally or through an offshore source. An information source at so-called “grey market” betting establishments may be found by whistleblowers, and integrity businesses frequently have relationships there.
