The latest betting scandal in college basketball involves 13 men’s players from six different schools. The NCAA announced Thursday it is cracking down on violators and seeking more evidence of wrongdoing in the cases.
The 13 players will not be named until the investigation is finalized. They were associated with Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State. The NCAA confirmed the players are no longer at their respective schools.
What violations did the players commit?
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Through an extensive monitoring program and network of sources, the NCAA became aware of unusual betting activities around six men’s basketball teams.
The NCAA said while the alleged behaviors in each case vary, they include players betting on and against their own teams, sharing information with third parties for purposes of sports betting, manipulating scoring or game outcomes, and failing to cooperate with investigators.
“The NCAA monitors over 22,000 contests every year and will continue to aggressively pursue competition integrity risks such as these,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement. “The rise of sports betting is creating more opportunity for athletes across sports to engage in this unacceptable behavior, and while legalized sports betting is here to stay, regulators and gaming companies can do more to reduce these integrity risks by eliminating prop bets and giving sports leagues a seat at the table when setting policies.”
Schools and their respective staff in the ongoing cases were not involved in the violations, and those schools will not be punished, the NCAA said.
Second announcement in two days
The announcement comes just 24 hours after the NCAA revoked the college eligibility of three former Fresno State men’s basketball players for betting on their own games. A separate investigation found Mykell Robinson had manipulated his performance and conspired with two other players to place bets on his statistics.
“During the game, Robinson altered his performance, with three points scored, two rebounds, one three-pointer, and no assists, to ensure the under-line bets won,” the NCAA Committee on Infractions said.
Will there be federal regulation of sports betting?
The investigations could reignite the debate around sports betting and whether the federal government should step in with some form of regulation to protect institutions like the NCAA and the public.
Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Sen. Dick Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the Safe Bet Act during March Madness. The focus of the bill is to address advertising, affordability, and the use of artificial intelligence by online sportsbooks. The aim is to curb problem gambling, which can be a factor in betting scandals involving sports leagues.
“When every single solitary moment of every sporting event across the globe has become a betting opportunity in the palm of your hand, the government must put its duty to protect its citizens from harm first,” Tonko said.
The bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process. Until more regulations and possible penalties are in place, organizations like the NCAA and NBA say they will rely on their network of sources and enforcement staff to monitor certain games and players for unusual betting activities.
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