Despite 17 active sports betting investigations, NCAA President, Charlie Baker is confident in the integrity of college sports.
As legal sports betting continues to grow in the U.S., so too have been the reports of suspicious wagering. In the aftermath of some high-profile betting scandals, Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) sent a letter in mid June to nearly every sports league in the country to clarify their betting policies.
NCAA President, Charlie Baker, responded that the association discovered 175 infractions of their sports betting policies since 2018, and 17 active investigations.
But in the grand scheme of things, it's not all bad. Baker told the Associated Press that less than .25% of their thousands of sporting events have seen suspicious action.
Recent college misconduct
College athletics has seen two major betting scandals this year, both taking place a couple of months ago.
NCAA policies on sports betting are on the strict side. They outlaw betting on any collegiate, amateur, or professional competition on any sports betting sites, and it was those policies that are the subject of Iowa sports betting's regulatory body. The state’s Racing and Gaming Commission has been looking at the bets of dozens of student-athletes and an employee at Iowa and Iowa State Universities.
The second and more infamous event was the attempt to bet over $100,000 on a University of Alabama baseball game. The bettor allegedly spoke with the now-fired Alabama coach at the betting window but was unable to put down the wager.
“When players get suspended and coaches get fired, that means the system is working. The goal, however, should be to stop these bets before they are placed,” Rep. Titus added.
NCAA's solutions
After these events the NCAA took action. One was to reform its reinstatement guidelines that existed before the overturning of PASPA in 2018, which started this expansion of regulated sports betting. They have also focused on responsible gambling initiatives. Baker noted a goal to educate the athletic departments about sports betting.
