Earlier this month, the NCAA reported two former North Carolina A&T men’s basketball players did not cooperate with an investigation into potential sports betting violations — meaning the athletes are now ineligible to play. The NCAA notes that both men are no longer members of the school’s basketball program and are not currently competing in NCAA sports.
We have written before about how sports betting corrupts athletic programs and puts student-athletes at risk of harassment and bribery.
The national experiment with sports gambling has been a disaster for individuals and families, but it is also undermining athletic programs nationwide.
When gambling is introduced, fans have a financial stake in the game, and athletes have an incentive to change how they play. Officials may be tempted to cheat, and fans forget why they enjoyed sports in the first place. All of that is a problem.
The NCAA has opened investigations into dozens of student-athletes at multiple schools over the past couple of years. Players allegedly conspire to help each other win bets by underperforming in games.
Federal prosecutors recently announced indictments against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA basketball games. One of the defendants has plead guilty to bribery and wire fraud in that case.
Sports betting is now legal in more than 30 states, and Arkansans wagered an average of nearly $1.8 million on it every day last year. That kind of gambling ruins lives, tears families apart, and hurts communities.
In February, the Arkansas Racing Commission approved sportsbook license applications by FanDuel and DraftKings — meaning the state will likely see more sports betting in the months to come.
Sports betting promises entertainment and easy money, but it isn’t a harmless pastime. As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect its citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, problem gambling will simply hurt more and more people in our state.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
