Recent NCAA investigations reveal how sports betting is threatening the integrity of college athletic programs across the nation.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions has uncovered a troubling pattern of sports betting violations involving student-athletes and staff members at multiple universities.
For example, at San Francisco, a basketball player provided inside information to a player at a different school who was betting on his performance through daily fantasy platforms.
Temple University’s men’s basketball program saw three separate gambling violations from 2022 to 2024.
A recent NCAA study found that 36% of Division I men’s basketball players reported harassment from bettors on social media.
Nearly one-third said they had interacted with students who bet on their games.
Former Butler player Pierre Brooks II described the harassment as commonplace: “If people don’t meet their over or under, they always [direct message] me. It’s actually pretty common.”
The NCAA says it has opened investigations into approximately 30 current or former men’s basketball players for sports betting violations. Twelve have already been permanently banned from competition.
Examples like these show how sports betting has undermined athletic programs across the nation.
Sports betting is now legal in 39 states — including Arkansas — and it has hurt individuals and families.
Besides the NCAA, recent news stories show that Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA, and other sports leagues have all dealt with serious corruption in the wake of sports betting’s legalization.
Arkansans wager more than a million dollars a day, on average. In 2024, the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced it had seen a 22% increase in calls for help with problem gambling — driven largely by sports betting.
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.
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.
