NCAA committee adopts proposal to allow student athletes bet on sports
Athletes would be permitted to bet on professional matches.
US.- The Division I Administrative Committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has adopted a proposal that would permit for student athletes and athletics department staff members to bet on professional sports. The change would require approval from all three NCAA divisions to be accepted, and would be effective from November 1.
The NCAA stated that the action is not an endorsement of sports betting and that the ban against betting on college sports will continue. It added that the change would not impact rules prohibiting advertising and sponsorships associated with sports betting for NCAA Championships.
The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee supported the change and requested continued education for college athletes to prevent problem gambling among students.
Illinois Athletics director and chair of the Committee Josh Whitman said: “The Administrative Committee was clear in its discussion today that it remains concern about the risk associated with all forms of sports gambling but ultimately voted to reduce restrictions on student-athletes in this area to better align with their campus peers. This change allows the NCAA, the conferences and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.”
Deena Casiero, NCAA chief medical officer, added: “Abstinence-only approaches to social challenges for college-aged individuals are often not as successful as approaches that focus on education about risks and open dialogue. The NCAA will continue to collaborate with schools to help them provide student-athletes with meaningful education and other resources for student-athletes who choose to participate in betting on professional sports. This harm reduction approach gives schools an opportunity to help student-athletes make educated decisions, prevent risky behavior and seek support without fear of impacting their eligibility.”
The NCAA recently began investigating allegations against 13 former men’s basketball athletes from six universities for potential sports betting violations. The allegations vary and include student-athletes betting on and against their own teams, sharing information with third parties, manipulating outcomes and/or refusing to participate in the investigation.
