Sports gambling by DIII athletes

[Kuiper]

I'm sure many of you have read about the scandal at the University of Iowa regarding athletes found to be betting on sports.  As this story (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iowa-iowa-state-athletes-gambling-probes/) states, the NCAA still has a complete ban on sports gambling

NCAA rules prohibit athletes, coaches and staff from betting on amateur, collegiate and professional sports in which the NCAA conducts a championship. For example, athletes cannot bet on NFL games even if state laws would legally allow them to if they weren't competing under NCAA rules.

Do D3 players get much instruction, if any, from school or NCAA compliance offices about the rules regarding sports gambling?  According to this tweet, an NCAA survey in 2016 found that 24% of men (and 5% of women) admitted to wagering on sports in the past year, but the percentages were actually higher for D3 athletes (27%) than D2 (23%) and DI (17%).

https://twitter.com/novy_williams/status/1655974235699806209?s=20

My guess is that D3 athletes are the least likely to get much education, if any, about the rules against sports gambling.  It's not like NCAA compliance departments in D3 are anywhere close to the size of those in D1 and especially the Power 5 conferences and I assume many D3 athletes feel like they are under the radar because they don't get athletic scholarships.  If 27% of D3 male athletes were wagering on sports in 2016, I would expect the numbers to be higher now with the passage of legalized sports gambling in most states across the country. Even if the student-athlete handbooks indicated that sports wagering was prohibited, some students would still assume that doesn't apply to legal gambling or would only apply to college sports or something like that.

I could be wrong, though.  Perhaps D3 programs have stepped up efforts to warn their athletes not to gamble on sports.  Anybody have any insight on this?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

On a practical level, who cares?

I don't mean that to be glib. For this to matter someone has to report it. Most d3 violations of NCAA rules get self reported, largely because they're seen as a competitive advantage or violation of the mission.

The no gambling rule is designed to prevent athletes from being compromised and thus pressured into throwing games or point shaving, etc. The NCAA doesn't want athletes taken advantage of.

That's just not a reality in d3 sports.

I'm not saying they should flaunt the rule, just that it's probably not something to worry about. Are we really going to see some rival d3 coach try to take down a team, because an athlete bets on the Superbowl? Not sure it's worth worrying about.

[jknezek]

Frankly I think the reported numbers above are insanely low. Willing to bet 75% or more of D3 men's athletes probably participate in a March Madness pool. And it doesn't matter at all...

[Kuiper]

On a practical level, who cares?

I don't mean that to be glib. For this to matter someone has to report it. Most d3 violations of NCAA rules get self reported, largely because they're seen as a competitive advantage or violation of the mission.

The no gambling rule is designed to prevent athletes from being compromised and thus pressured into throwing games or point shaving, etc. The NCAA doesn't want athletes taken advantage of.

That's just not a reality in d3 sports.

I'm not saying they should flaunt the rule, just that it's probably not something to worry about. Are we really going to see some rival d3 coach try to take down a team, because an athlete bets on the Superbowl? Not sure it's worth worrying about.

I agree that the landscape has changed dramatically since these rules were put into place, but, as you said, the typical concern underlying these types of rules in all levels of sport (besides it being illegal in some jurisdictions and in others for those under 21) is match-fixing.  There was an indictment a few years ago related to an attempt to fix games in March Madness.

https://www.legalsportsreport.com/35654/ncaa-match-fixing-indictments/

It would be pretty naive to think there aren't betting lines somewhere on D3 sports, at least for tournament games.  Indeed, most of the match-fixing that goes on internationally occurs at the lower levels of a sport because the players are the most vulnerable given their low wages and the games are under the radar.  I'm sure there are a few D3 athletes who try to pay for some of their school expenses with gambling winnings.

Still, the original question is that this rule is on the books and is being enforced in Alabama (relating to a coach) and Iowa/Iowa State (relating to players).  So, it would be interesting to note if someone has told D3 athletes that they are subject to it.

[jknezek]

On a practical level, who cares?

I don't mean that to be glib. For this to matter someone has to report it. Most d3 violations of NCAA rules get self reported, largely because they're seen as a competitive advantage or violation of the mission.

The no gambling rule is designed to prevent athletes from being compromised and thus pressured into throwing games or point shaving, etc. The NCAA doesn't want athletes taken advantage of.

That's just not a reality in d3 sports.

I'm not saying they should flaunt the rule, just that it's probably not something to worry about. Are we really going to see some rival d3 coach try to take down a team, because an athlete bets on the Superbowl? Not sure it's worth worrying about.

I agree that the landscape has changed dramatically since these rules were put into place, but, as you said, the typical concern underlying these types of rules in all levels of sport (besides it being illegal in some jurisdictions and in others for those under 21) is match-fixing.  There was an indictment a few years ago related to an attempt to fix games in March Madness.

https://www.legalsportsreport.com/35654/ncaa-match-fixing-indictments/

It would be pretty naive to think there aren't betting lines somewhere on D3 sports, at least for tournament games.  Indeed, most of the match-fixing that goes on internationally occurs at the lower levels of a sport because the players are the most vulnerable given their low wages and the games are under the radar.  I'm sure there are a few D3 athletes who try to pay for some of their school expenses with gambling winnings.

Still, the original question is that this rule is on the books and is being enforced in Alabama (relating to a coach) and Iowa/Iowa State (relating to players).  So, it would be interesting to note if someone has told D3 athletes that they are subject to it.

I've got a buddy that bets on the Stagg Bowl most years. But that's about the only D3 line I'm aware of on a consistent basis. Too hard for the bookies to follow the teams to make good lines across most of D3. But yeah, as legalized gambling continues to grow, it's possible that it will expand. People are always looking for an edge, and the less common and lower leagues can sometimes provide that edge.

I still think it's fairly irrelevant right now, but I suspect most schools do an athlete orientation and I suspect it's at least mentioned as part of required NCAA compliance. But I also suspect that's as far as it goes.