The NCAA needs to place an finish to school prop betting, NCAA president Charlie Baker stated in an announcement Wednesday.
Pointing to the betting-related points which have popped up in sports activities in latest days, Baker stated the NCAA is drawing a line “to guard student-athletes and the integrity of the sport.” To try this, he stated, the group might be contacting state officers the place school props are nonetheless provided and asking them to take away these markets.
Although the newest dangerous press on betting has adopted Main League Baseball and Shohei Ohtani, in addition to the NBA, the NCAA has confronted its personal points prior to now, together with scandals that rocked Iowa State, Iowa and Alabama. Apparently, it’s all been sufficient to set off Baker to hunt a nationwide ban on school prop betting, which regularly contains wagering on an athlete’s particular person stats.
The NCAA is sort of definitely doing this as a result of it’s afraid of a scandal greater than fearful in regards to the well-being of its athletes. However it’s nonetheless definitely worth the try if banning prop bets has the additional benefit of defending athletes just a bit extra.
With sports activities betting on the rise, the NCAA is appearing to guard student-athletes from harassment and dealing to guard the integrity of the sport – this week reveals why it’s so vital to behave. pic.twitter.com/krATwpS4hZ
— NCAA Information (@NCAA_PR) March 27, 2024
It’s no secret the scrutiny and harassment athletes can typically face after they fail to make bettors cash. Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff shared a disturbing story of bettors getting a maintain of his telephone quantity and sending him messages about his children and the place he lives. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was candid in a latest interview about how individuals usually solely view him as a “prop.” None of it’s unusual.
Nevertheless, whereas not many individuals can muster up a lot sympathy for millionaires paid handsomely to take care of that form of heckling, most school athletes aren’t making that form of cash. Actually, none of them are paid by the colleges that truly worker them. Nevertheless minimal or not the psychological well being toll that comes from the harassment of bettors, they’re requested to take care of the identical scrutiny with out receiving the identical advantages as their skilled counterparts. Till they’re paid like workers, I don’t see why they need to must. The NCAA’s try and take away prop markets is only one small step to ease that burden.
Even when the NCAA is profitable, eradicating school props will in no way remove disgruntled bettors or finish considerations over the integrity of the video games. That’s an not possible job. Folks can nonetheless discover these markets with unlawful sportsbooks in the event that they’re determined sufficient, or discover copy-cat prop betting on every day fantasy websites. Commonplace betting can nonetheless flip ugly too. Nevertheless, these are merely fights for an additional day, not a cause for the NCAA to do nothing if it has the facility to remove even a small fraction hate gamers obtain. That’s what this does.
Gannett might earn income from sports activities betting operators for viewers referrals to betting companies. Sports activities betting operators don’t have any affect over nor are any such revenues in any manner depending on or linked to the newsrooms or information protection. Phrases apply, see operator website for Phrases and Circumstances. For those who or somebody you realize has a playing downside, assist is on the market. Name the Nationwide Council on Drawback Playing 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Have to be 21 or older to gamble. Sports activities betting and playing should not authorized in all places. Be sure you adjust to legal guidelines relevant the place you reside.