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Pinto’s Ironic Suspension Shows NHL’s Double-Edged Ignorance
Today the Ottawa Senators’ Shane Pinto was suspended for gambling. Why is this suspension ironic in terms of NHL promotion of gambling?
I don’t really know Shane Pinto well. The Ottawa Senators are a team that I like and root for, but covering the Toronto Maple Leafs keeps me much more in tune with that roster than the Senators. What I do know about Pinto is that he hasn’t signed a contract with the team yet and there’s been talk among hockey writers who cover the Senators about trading him.
He’s stirred up debate before the news of his suspension, and there will certainly be more debate after it.
The NHL Is Trying to Have It Both Ways
As I say, I don’t know Pinto. Perhaps he’s one of the bad guys. Or, perhaps he’s just a kid with too much money (by normal Canadian standards) and too many temptations he doesn’t or can’t control.
Regardless, when I heard the news that the young Senators center Shane Pinto had been suspended for 41 games by the NHL due to his involvement in sports wagering, I didn’t like it. And, by saying that, I wasn’t even talking about Pinto – at all.
What I don’t like is the deep irony involved in the ruling. It makes no logical sense to me.
From what I read now, this suspension is a significant blow to the young player’s career. I also immediately read that Pinto, in a statement, had apologized for his actions. He also expressed his desire to return to the ice. In response, coach D.J. Smith noted that the team would welcome Pinto back with open arms — when his suspension was complete.
But what the team didn’t remind everyone was that it supports gambling publicly every single game because every player skates around with a sports betting decal on their helmet. Is Pinto confused by the ironic nature of the NHL’s (and his own team’s) relationship to sports gambling? I am.
I Don’t Support Sports Gambling
So that you know where I’m coming from, I don’t support sports gambling. I especially don’t support the heavy advertising that sports gambling sites put in front of the public during sporting events on television. I believe the correlation between sports gambling and addiction is too high, and I believe gambling addictions harm human lives and families.
In addition, the NHL has a contradictory relationship with sports betting. That relationship should raise important questions about the NHL’s stance on gambling. Yet, it doesn’t. What it does is suspend a player who takes part in the very activity that the NHL allows and condones.
The NHL’s Involvement in Sports Gambling Is Purposely Ignorant
The NHL has been actively involved in legalized gambling. Iconic NHL stars – the best of the best, actually – include Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky stand up to be counted FOR gambling. In 2022, they both did a commercial for BetMGM, a leading sports betting and gaming operator. The site brought together two of hockey’s iconic captains in a tongue-in-cheek commercial just before the start of the 2022-23 season where they are betting on and racing Zambonis.
A new law has been passed that athletes and celebrities are no longer allowed to be used as part of the promotions for these betting sites in Ontario. The new rules, proposed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario(opens in a new tab) (AGCO), will go into effect at the end of February 2024. The new ban is to “help safeguard children and youth who can be particularly susceptible to such advertising content.” What does that tell you?
Any fan (or even player) would have to believe that the NHL de facto supported gambling. Now we see with Pinto’s suspension that they don’t. Or, do they? Who really knows?
How Complex Is This Issue? Really?
What I do know is that Pinto’s suspension is ironic in light of the NHL’s televised embrace of sports betting. Today as I’ve been reading about the suspension, I have read some reports calling the issue “complex.” Really? It seems pretty simple.
We know exactly what the NHL’s position on gambling is. The NHL supports it. Why? Because the NHL benefits from an additional revenue stream, increased fan engagement, and marketing opportunities through these partnerships.
What the NHL is willing to do is rake in more money, even when there should be clear concerns about conflicts of interest, player vulnerability, and youth and other vulnerable people’s exposure to gambling. My research tells me that in the United States, about 3 percent of those who gamble have ongoing gambling-related problems or addictions.
My research also tells me that certain factors increase the risk of gambling addictions. These factors include easy access to gambling matched with individual susceptibility. Additionally, the rise of online sports betting has increased addiction. It’s simply accessible and convenient.
The NHL Wants It Both Ways
How many bad decisions can the NHL make in one month? First, for some reason, they banned and then un-banned Pride Tape on sticks. Now they have suspended Pinto, while they are continuing to profit from the behavior he was banned because he did it. When he returns to the Senators – if he does – he will then wear a helmet with a gambling logo on it. Strange, even if you are for gambling.
If the NHL can indeed have it both ways, how gullible are we all? Leveraging the benefits of legalized gambling while maintaining the integrity of the game and the well-being of its players and fans seem to be two different things.
I can’t imagine today is the end of this discussion. Less ignorant (as in ignoring the obvious contradictions) heads need to deal with this issue.
Related: What’s Up with Senators Mathieu Joseph this Season?
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