Pete Rose has only a few more years to get into the hall of fame through a vote by sportswriters, if he doesnt then the decision is left up to actual HOF members, and his odds are much better with the reporters then with the members, who are a pretty crotchety group, who have denied membership to players less controversial then Pete.
Also, his major problem is not that he bet on sports, not that he bet on baseball, but that he regularly, for two seasons bet on his own team. He says he never bet against the Reds, but even if that is true, its almost irrelevant because by not betting on certain games, he was basically telling his bookie that he doesnt feel his team will win. Its real dirty anyway you slice it. For him to do that, shows that he didnt respect baseball at all an was in it all for himself.