Evander Kane Case Could Shake Up Sports Betting Future

• The NHL wants to make it crystal clear that the integrity of all of their games is of the highest priority.
• Investigations into the accusations made against Evander Kane are underway.
• While it’s no secret that Kane is a sports bettor, there has been no evidence to suggest that he’s thrown games for the purposes of winning wagers.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The NHL is presently investigating San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane after the athlete was accused of fixing games for the purposes of sports betting. This news is shaking up the sports gaming world, not just the NHL, as more states across the U.S. have regulated sports wagering markets, and this type of issue has always been one of their biggest fears.

What’s Happening With The Case?

The NHL has numerous partnerships throughout the United States with sports betting operators. This could hurt those deals in the long run as the integrity of the game needs to remain intact. So far, the case against Kane isn’t quite holding up.

It’s true, Kane gambles with the regulated sports betting industries nationwide. However, his estranged wife posted on social media about her husband fixing games, which is what started this entire problem in the first place. She accused her husband of throwing games because he was betting on them himself. But there has been no evidence on the part of Evander Kane’s NHL performance that anything suspicious has taken place.

“How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he’s obviously throwing games to win money? Hmm maybe someone needs to address this,” said Anna Kane, the player’s estranged wife, via Instagram. “Can someone ask NHL commissioner Gary Bettman how they let a player gamble on his own games? Bet and win with bookies on his own games?”

Unfortunately, these accusations have now played a crucial part in the NHL’s future with their sportsbooks and players. There will be an even bigger issue when it comes to states wanting to regulate sports betting operations, in both retail and mobile sports betting. If the integrity of the game is put into question, the industry cannot go on. Sports organizations will have to make rules and other changes to have players understand the severity of this type of problem.

What Does This Mean For The Future?

Kane isn’t able to engage with the NHL until the investigation is over. He may or may not have a job waiting for him afterward but many of his teammates do not want him to return. While franchises forbid players from gambling on their own sport, there are loopholes that need to be closed moving forward. These accusations, whether or not they’re true, forever stain the name of the accused and in this case, that’s Evander Kane.

Kane maintains that although he is an avid gambler, he has never wagered on hockey or any one of his games for that matter. The investigation is ongoing.

News tags: Anna Kane | Evander Kane | Gary Bettman | Instagram | NHL | San Jose Sharks