Former MLB Player Yasiel Puig Pleads Guilty to Illegal Sports Betting

Published: McLane Middleton
November 15, 2022

Former Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, Yasiel Puig, has found himself in hot water as the U.S. Department of Justice released information yesterday that the former MLB player illegally placed nearly 900 bets on football, basketball and tennis in 2019.

According to the press release, Puig placed bets with a third party who was known to work for an illegal gambling operation that was run by Wayne Nix, a former minor league baseball player who pled guilty to conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business.

In his plea agreement, Puig admitted to lying to federal investigators back in January 2022 about his relationship with the third party and placing bets on an unknown website that resulted in a loss of $200,000. Puig has agreed to pay a fine of at least $55,000 and Puig will make his initial appearance in the United States District Court on November 15, 2022.