Years after Pete Rose's $10,000 gamble put a lifetime ban on his MLB career, Cincinnati Reds legend made history with Ohio's first legal wager

MLB legend Pete Rose's career took a turn in 1984 when he became the player-manager of the Cincinnati Reds.

However, it then came to light that Rose engaged in regular betting. He had a reputation as a gambler, but concerns arose that he might be placing bets on baseball games.

In 1989, then-MLB commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti began an investigation into allegations of Rose's gambling on baseball games, including betting on his own team.

Gambling on baseball by anyone directly involved with the game, such as players, managers, coaches, or officials, was strictly prohibited by MLB's rules due to the potential for compromising the integrity of the sport.

The investigation concluded that Pete Rose had indeed bet on baseball games, including his own team's games, over an extended period. As a result, on August 24, 1989, Rose was banned from MLB for life by Commissioner Giamatti.

Fast forward to January 2023, and it was a historic moment for Pete Rose. From being banned from the league in 1989 for gambling on his own team, he took a bold step back into the world of sports betting.

At the stroke of midnight, Ohio officially legalized sports betting, and Rose seized the opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking moment by placing the state's first legal sports bet at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati.

Pete Rose tried to no avail to return to the MLB

86th MLB All-Star Game: CINCINNATI, OH - JULY 14: Former player and manager Pete looks on prior to the 86th MLB All-Star Game at the Great American Ball Park on July 14, 2015, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The lifetime ban meant that Rose was barred from any involvement in MLB, including coaching, managing, or any position with the league's teams.

Pete Rose initially denied the allegations but eventually admitted to betting on baseball in his 2004 autobiography, "My Prison Without Bars."

Despite the admission, he continued to seek reinstatement to MLB, but multiple attempts were unsuccessful, and the lifetime ban remained in effect.