With the growth of legal sports betting in the US after the 2018 Supreme Court decision regarding the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the NCAA has barred athletes, coaches, and staff from wagering on professional sports, but this may soon be revised.
Last month, the Division I Board of Directors approved a potential rule change by a vote of 21-1, moving it to the D-I Council for further discussion. According to unnamed sources familiar with the situation, Sports Illustrated indicated there is growing support for permitting individuals with direct NCAA connections to bet on professional sports, and clarity on the issue may be forthcoming as early as next month.
"(The board) directed the NCAA staff to develop concepts for the appropriate committees to consider regarding a safe harbor, limited immunity or reduced penalties for student-athletes who engage in sports wagering but seek help for problem gambling,” according to the board by way of Sports Illustrated.
If the D-1 Council votes to lift the ban on professional sports wagering, the existing prohibition on betting on college sports would remain unchanged.
NCAA's Pro Sports Betting Ban Possibly Obsolete
Despite the NCAA's good intentions behind its ban on athletes, coaches, and employees betting on professional sports, this prohibition is equally, if not more, arbitrary and excessive for a straightforward reason: it covers any professional sport that is also played at the college level.
This implies that coaches, staff members, and student-athletes are prohibited from betting on the NBA, NFL, NHL, and Major League Baseball (MLB). Neither wagering is allowed on the WNBA nor on professional golf and tennis, as the NCAA oversees the college-level versions of those sports. In the realm of professional sports, NCAA athletes, coaches, and staff are allowed to wager on combat sports and motorsports, with limited options beyond that.
The Division III Management Council has looked into permitting its athletes and staff to wager on professional sports, suggesting there’s backing at that level for a related structure.
“Exploring the concept of a safe harbor or limited immunity for student-athletes involved with sports betting reaffirms that harm reduction and education will continue to be paramount. We are seeking to deregulate betting on professional sports because we believe it will be more likely that student-athletes and staff will seek help for problem gambling,” said Jason Verdugo, chair of the council and athletics director at Wisconsin-Eau Claire, in an April statement.
NCAA Needs to Prioritize College Betting
So far, the infractions related to pro sports betting identified by the NCAA have been relatively minor, typically leading to minimal penalties.
On the flip side, almost all sports betting disputes that became scandals involved betting on college games, and this applies to both the periods before and after PAPSA. Recent instances involve Iowa State athletes being accused of felony identity theft to place bets when they were not of legal betting age, along with former University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon being fired after it was found that he disclosed player availability details to contacts before releasing it publicly.
The NCAA has adopted a strict stance on serious betting violations, urging states to prohibit betting propositions involving college athletes to enhance athlete safety and strengthen integrity.