NCAA Announcements Draw Attention to Sports Betting Violations

Gambling,

Last month, the NCAA issued a press release announcing it is in the process of addressing alleged sports betting violations by 13 men’s basketball players.

The allegations center on student-athletes betting for and against their own teams, sharing information for sports betting purposes, manipulating scores or game outcomes, and refusing to cooperate with investigators.

The NCAA is careful to point out that none of the players are still enrolled in the schools where the sports betting violations allegedly occurred.

In a separate statement issued last month, the NCAA revealed that three men’s basketball players colluded to win bets that they placed on one another.

Unfortunately, stories like these are not surprising.

We have written before about how sports betting corrupts athletics.

The national experiment with sports gambling has been a disaster for individuals and families, but it is also undermining athletic programs nationwide.

Sports betting is now legal in 39 states — including Arkansas, where people wager more than a million dollars a day, on average. That kind of gambling ruins lives, tears families apart, and hurts communities.

Studies indicate people who gamble on sports may be twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems.

Young men are particularly hurt by sports gambling. Twenty-year-old males account for approximately 40% of calls to gambling addiction hotlines, and upwards of 20 million men are in debt or have been in debt as a result of sports betting.

And research now shows that the legalization of sports betting may be linked to serious financial problems in America — such as credit card debt, overdrafts, late payments on loans, lower credit scores, and higher bankruptcy rates.

Last year the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced it has seen a 22% increase in calls for help with problem gambling — driven largely by sports betting.

As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, gambling addiction will simply continue hurting innocent people in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Governor Invites Churches, Faith Leaders to Participate in Pilot Program to Address Poverty in Arkansas

Religion, ,

On Monday, Governor Sanders announced a pilot program that will partner with Arkansas’ faith and business communities to address poverty and other challenges in Arkansas.

The 10:33 Initiative by Governor Sanders’ Office of Faith-Based Initiatives is designed to “lift Arkansans out of poverty and improve their long-term self-sufficiency by connecting them with faith and community partners who can meet their immediate needs and help guide them toward a prosperous future.”

The name is taken from Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:33.

The 10:33 Initiative will start with a 12-month pilot program in Pulaski, Union, and Pope counties.

The initiative will utilize Restore Hope’s HopeHub, which is a data-sharing platform that connects people in need of assistance with faith and community partners who can help meet those needs. The program will also help meet long-term goals like connecting people with job opportunities, training, and career guidance.

In a statement, Governor Sanders called the 10:33 Initiative “a groundbreaking project carefully curated to give Arkansans a hand up, not a handout.”

We have written many times how Americans often do not fully appreciate how much churches do for their communities. Nationwide, researchers estimate that churches, ministries, and religious charities provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of services every year. We are glad Governor Sanders recognizes that churches and faith leaders are a resource that can help address many of the problems our communities face.

Arkansans interested in knowing more about the 10:33 Initiative can contact Morgan Warbington at the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives by emailing morgan.warbington@governor.arkansas.gov.

A one-page informational flyer about the 10:33 Initiative is also available here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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