Fast Facts about Gambling and College Sports
Exact Information from the NCAA (www.NCAA.org)
The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering on college sports. Sports wagering has become a serious problem that threatens the well being of the student-athlete and the integrity of college sports.
*The explosive growth of sports wagering has caused a noticeable increase in the number of sports wagering-related cases processed by the Association.
*The Internet has made it easier than ever for student-athletes to place bets, providing easy access, virtual anonymity, and essentially no supervision.
*Student-athletes are viewed by organized crime and organized gambling as easy marks.
*When student-athletes gamble, they break the law and jeopardize their eligibility.
*When student-athletes become indebted to bookies and can’t pay off their debts, alternative methods of payment are introduced that threaten the well-being of the student-athlete or undermine an athletic contest - such as point-shaving.
NCAA Policy
*The NCAA membership has adopted specific rules prohibiting student-athletes, athletics department staff members, and conference office staff from engaging in sports wagering (Bylaw 10.3). NCAA rules also prohibit non-athletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department, such as chancellors or presidents and faculty athletics representatives from engaging in sports wagering. NCAA national office employees are also prohibiting from engaging in sports wagering.
*The rules against sports wagering applies to any institutional practice or competition (intercollegiate, amateur or professional) in an NCAA-sanctioned sport.
*Sports competition should be appreciated for the inherent benefits related to participation of student-athletes, coaches, and institutions in fair contests, not the amount of money wagered on the outcome of the competition.
*A student-athlete involved in sports wagering on the student-athlete's institution permanently loses all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports.
*A student-athlete who is involved in any sports wagering activity that involves college sports or professional athletics, through a internet gambling, bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling, will be ineligible for all regular-season and postseason competition for at least one year.
Student-Athletes and Bracket Contests
*NCAA member colleges and universities have defined sports wagering as putting something at risk – such as an entry fee - with the opportunity to win something in return. Because of this, student-athletes, coaches and administrators may not participate in bracket competitions where there is both a required entry fee and an opportunity to win a prize.
*Student-athletes and administrators may participate, under current NCAA rules, in bracket contests where there is no entry fee but a possibility of winning a prize. Some NCAA member schools, however, have chosen to ban student-athletes from participating in these types of bracket contests.
Bracket Office Pools and Promotions
*Office pools and similar games are illegal in most states, and we have learned that these types of pools are often the entry for youth to begin betting.
*The NCAA is aware of office pools in excess of $100,000, and the magnitude of the revenue generated could negatively impact the spirit of the sport.
*The NCAA wants to send a clear message that money does not have to be involved in order for the NCAA basketball tournament or other sporting contests to be fun.
*The NCAA continues to work with its corporate champions and partners to encourage them to use other types of promotional games. When our partners have used bracket-focused promotions, we’ve insisted that a random drawing component be added.
Internet Gambling Bill
*In October 2006, President Bush signed legislation making it much more difficult to send money to Internet gambling sites. Any Internet casino that attempts to accept credit card payments, Internet bank transfers or any other illegal gambling payments will be blocked from doing so. The Act has placed significant roadblocks in the path of people who have become accustomed to easy access to online sports books.
*The National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League joined the NCAA in sending a letter to Congress urging the passage of this legislation.
Sports Wagering Study
*Former NCAA President Myles Brand formed a national task force in 2004 to recommend strategies to counteract sports wagering among student-athletes and further analyze the data from the 2003 National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risks.
*This study represented the first effort to collect information on sports wagering and associated behaviors from a nationally representative sample of student-athletes. It was groundbreaking in both the scope of inquiry and in breadth/number of student-athletes participating (greater than 20,000 student-athletes across all divisions and most championship sports).
*Key findings:
-Of 388 men’s basketball players surveyed, 17 admitted to at least one of the following extreme gambling behaviors: taking money to play poorly in a game; knowing a teammate who took money to play poorly in a game; been threatened or harmed because of sports wagering; been contacted by an outside source to share inside information; actually providing inside information on a game.
-Of 2,000 football players surveyed, 102 admitted to at least one of the following extreme gambling behaviors noted above.
*This research shows that no campus is immune to the problems of sports wagering. Every institution needs to review its sports-wagering education program to ensure it is reaching its student-athletes and the entire campus community.
MORE STATISTICS FROM TODAYSPICKS.NET
*About $2.57 billion was gambled in 2008 in Nevada’s legal sports books.
*Approximately 380 billion is bet through offshore books or with bookies each year.
*According to survey conducted by ESPN, 118 million Americans gambled on sports in some manner in 2008.
30 percent of college athletes bet on sports, and 4 percent bet on their own games. About 67 percent of all college students bet on sports.
*Sports betting is second to poker in popularity of gambling games among college students.
*About 23 percent of all adults bet on sports. Approximately 33 percent of all American men say they gamble on sports, according to the Pew Research Center.
*A recent survey showed that 44 percent of 12th-grade males said they had bet on sports at least once.
*Recent polls show 42 percent of Americans would support legal sports betting in all states; sports fans supported legalized sports betting by 55 percent.
*If legalized, sports betting would generated an estimated $10 billion per year and $100 million in taxes per state.
List complied by Joshua Wilkins
The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering on college sports. Sports wagering has become a serious problem that threatens the well being of the student-athlete and the integrity of college sports.
*The explosive growth of sports wagering has caused a noticeable increase in the number of sports wagering-related cases processed by the Association.
*The Internet has made it easier than ever for student-athletes to place bets, providing easy access, virtual anonymity, and essentially no supervision.
*Student-athletes are viewed by organized crime and organized gambling as easy marks.
*When student-athletes gamble, they break the law and jeopardize their eligibility.
*When student-athletes become indebted to bookies and can’t pay off their debts, alternative methods of payment are introduced that threaten the well-being of the student-athlete or undermine an athletic contest - such as point-shaving.
NCAA Policy
*The NCAA membership has adopted specific rules prohibiting student-athletes, athletics department staff members, and conference office staff from engaging in sports wagering (Bylaw 10.3). NCAA rules also prohibit non-athletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department, such as chancellors or presidents and faculty athletics representatives from engaging in sports wagering. NCAA national office employees are also prohibiting from engaging in sports wagering.
*The rules against sports wagering applies to any institutional practice or competition (intercollegiate, amateur or professional) in an NCAA-sanctioned sport.
*Sports competition should be appreciated for the inherent benefits related to participation of student-athletes, coaches, and institutions in fair contests, not the amount of money wagered on the outcome of the competition.
*A student-athlete involved in sports wagering on the student-athlete's institution permanently loses all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports.
*A student-athlete who is involved in any sports wagering activity that involves college sports or professional athletics, through a internet gambling, bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling, will be ineligible for all regular-season and postseason competition for at least one year.
Student-Athletes and Bracket Contests
*NCAA member colleges and universities have defined sports wagering as putting something at risk – such as an entry fee - with the opportunity to win something in return. Because of this, student-athletes, coaches and administrators may not participate in bracket competitions where there is both a required entry fee and an opportunity to win a prize.
*Student-athletes and administrators may participate, under current NCAA rules, in bracket contests where there is no entry fee but a possibility of winning a prize. Some NCAA member schools, however, have chosen to ban student-athletes from participating in these types of bracket contests.
Bracket Office Pools and Promotions
*Office pools and similar games are illegal in most states, and we have learned that these types of pools are often the entry for youth to begin betting.
*The NCAA is aware of office pools in excess of $100,000, and the magnitude of the revenue generated could negatively impact the spirit of the sport.
*The NCAA wants to send a clear message that money does not have to be involved in order for the NCAA basketball tournament or other sporting contests to be fun.
*The NCAA continues to work with its corporate champions and partners to encourage them to use other types of promotional games. When our partners have used bracket-focused promotions, we’ve insisted that a random drawing component be added.
Internet Gambling Bill
*In October 2006, President Bush signed legislation making it much more difficult to send money to Internet gambling sites. Any Internet casino that attempts to accept credit card payments, Internet bank transfers or any other illegal gambling payments will be blocked from doing so. The Act has placed significant roadblocks in the path of people who have become accustomed to easy access to online sports books.
*The National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League joined the NCAA in sending a letter to Congress urging the passage of this legislation.
Sports Wagering Study
*Former NCAA President Myles Brand formed a national task force in 2004 to recommend strategies to counteract sports wagering among student-athletes and further analyze the data from the 2003 National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering and Associated Health Risks.
*This study represented the first effort to collect information on sports wagering and associated behaviors from a nationally representative sample of student-athletes. It was groundbreaking in both the scope of inquiry and in breadth/number of student-athletes participating (greater than 20,000 student-athletes across all divisions and most championship sports).
*Key findings:
-Of 388 men’s basketball players surveyed, 17 admitted to at least one of the following extreme gambling behaviors: taking money to play poorly in a game; knowing a teammate who took money to play poorly in a game; been threatened or harmed because of sports wagering; been contacted by an outside source to share inside information; actually providing inside information on a game.
-Of 2,000 football players surveyed, 102 admitted to at least one of the following extreme gambling behaviors noted above.
*This research shows that no campus is immune to the problems of sports wagering. Every institution needs to review its sports-wagering education program to ensure it is reaching its student-athletes and the entire campus community.
MORE STATISTICS FROM TODAYSPICKS.NET
*About $2.57 billion was gambled in 2008 in Nevada’s legal sports books.
*Approximately 380 billion is bet through offshore books or with bookies each year.
*According to survey conducted by ESPN, 118 million Americans gambled on sports in some manner in 2008.
30 percent of college athletes bet on sports, and 4 percent bet on their own games. About 67 percent of all college students bet on sports.
*Sports betting is second to poker in popularity of gambling games among college students.
*About 23 percent of all adults bet on sports. Approximately 33 percent of all American men say they gamble on sports, according to the Pew Research Center.
*A recent survey showed that 44 percent of 12th-grade males said they had bet on sports at least once.
*Recent polls show 42 percent of Americans would support legal sports betting in all states; sports fans supported legalized sports betting by 55 percent.
*If legalized, sports betting would generated an estimated $10 billion per year and $100 million in taxes per state.
List complied by Joshua Wilkins
Photo Illustration by Kathleen Fox
