Little League World Series takes stand against online betting on youth games

Little League International took to social media to offer a firm stance on online betting with this year's World Series tournament already underway. 

"Little League International stands by its statement first issued last year that there is no place for betting on Little League games and players or any youth sports competition," a statement shared Wednesday said. "Little League is a trusted place where children are learning the fundamentals of the games and all the important life lessons that come with having fun, celebrating teamwork, and playing with integrity, and no one should be exploiting the success and failures of children playing the game they love for their own personal gain."

The announcement comes as offshore sportsbooks are taking real bets on children as young as 10 years old during the 2026 Little League World Series, which started Wednesday. While betting in the U.S. is illegal, it doesn't take much to find a website where a bet can be placed in minutes. 

"Betting on a Little League World Series, it's a child's game," said Andrew Navarro, a Little League coach. "I think it's a bit ridiculous."

Navarro has been coaching youth baseball for about three years and says the idea of betting on children takes away what makes the game special.

"It's about family. It's about friends. It's about learning the game. America's pastime," Navarro said. "I just feel like betting on something like that just kind of taints it."

Bill Speros, a professional analyst with Rotowire.com, says that the most unsettling part of the ordeal isn't that the odds exist, but that there's someone who takes the time to set them. 

"That someone would either know that, or think they know that, is as troubling as it is the fact that you have illegal offshore sites wagering on competition involving children," Speros said. 

He says that the offshore books operate out of places like the Caribbean, Panama, Costa Rica, or on tribal lands in Canada, all of which are outside of the jurisdiction of the U.S.

Speros says that legal sportsbooks and federally regulated prediction markets won't touch anything related to youth sports. 

"Little League betting — 0.0% chance you'll ever see that legally sanctioned anywhere in the United States," he said. 

Joe Maloney, the president and CEO of the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents legal operators like DraftKings and FanDuel, echoed Speros' sentiment, calling for something to be done on social media earlier this week. 

"The Feds and law enforcement have all the powers in the world to stop this nonsense, yet we look the other way," Maloney's post said. "It needs to end."

Speros believes that since federal governments have shut down offshore operators in the past, it's only a matter of time. He's just not sure when, and foresees the problem continuing into the coming years.

"Oh, it'll happen again next August, 100%," he said. 

For now, Navarro said he and other coaches will continue to focus on the benefits of the game and developing the next generation of ballplayers. 

"It's not just about the game; you're also trying to shape young individuals into being great citizens and great young adults, and they can pass it onto their kids," he said. 

The 79th edition of the Little League World Series continues until August 30, with all of the games taking place at the Little League headquarters in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The annual tournament pits 10 teams from the U.S. against ten international teams to determine the winner. Last year, Tung-Yuan Little League from Taipei, Taiwan took home the title.