NCAA Student Athletes May Soon be Allowed to Wager on Pro Sports
NCAA is considering possibly striking down a rule prohibiting college student athletes from betting on professional sports. A decision could come before football season.
NCAA may allow student athletes to wager on pro sports.
Key Facts:
- NCAA currently prohibits student athletes from placing bets with any sportsbook on any sport
- Support is growing to permit NCAA student athletes to place wagers on professional sports only
- No rules change has yet been proposed, and status of betting by coaches is unknown
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is considering a landmark decision that would allow student athletes to register and place bets with sportsbooks on professional athletic events.
The NCAA currently prohibits students who are athletes on school-sanctioned teams or clubs from placing bets of any kind, whether on college or professional sports.
If this rule change is implemented, students/athletes who meet the age requirements in the states they are registered in could place bets on pro sports.
Despite concerns from the NCAA and some gambling watchdog groups, the NCAA seems poised to reverse itself on college athletes’ prohibition of sports betting. In April, the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors voted nearly unanimously (21-to-1) to allow its college athletes to bet on professional sports.
If the NCAA changes its rules, college students who are athletes could wager on the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, the WNBA, auto racing, golf, tennis, and other professional sports. However, college/athletes would still be barred from betting on college sports, whether they participate in that sport or not.
To protect against possible gambling issues with athletes and coaching or support staff, the NCAA has been bolstering its problem gambling resources. This comes at a time when more than 35 states have legal sportsbooks, and most betting occurs online from the convenience of a mobile device.
Last year, NCAA president Charlie Baker entered the debate on the safety of gambling when he offered the opinion that his organization should ban parlay betting. He’s also hinted that he would like to ban player prop bets.
Regardless of the NCAA’s official position on sports betting, the organization is experiencing a boon in revenue from partnerships with sports betting operators. All the large conferences have deals with sportsbooks, and the NCAA itself receives revenue from relationships with sports betting platforms.
Once considered taboo, betting information is now shared on nearly every broadcast of a college game, and odds are shown next to the schedule of games for college football and basketball, the sports that garner the most attention and revenue.
One issue that remains worth watching is gambling addiction. So far, no active college athlete has faced punishment for betting on college sports, and none have come forward with a gambling problem. However, given the popularity of sportsbooks on campus with non-athletes, it seems sensible that college athletes must also be educated about responsible gambling.
