Reshaping College Athlete Sports Betting Education

Authors

Becky Harris
John T. Holden

Abstract

Legal sports wagering has been rapidly expanding across the United States since 2018. In the wake of the Supreme Court's Murphy decision, more than twenty five states have legalized sports betting and billions of dollars have followed the cascades of legalization. As the legal market continues to grow, professional sports leagues have been quick to embrace the regulated expansion, but the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has not changed their steadfast opposition. Despite the NCAA's vehement opposition, the organization has seemed to gain little traction in getting states to either wholly exclude wagering on collegiate sports or getting the federal government to preempt these nascent state initiatives. The NCAA's opposition to sports betting expansion is futile. Despite the organization's reluctance to embrace the now mainstream activity, the time has come for the organization to acknowledge the reality of the situation and create an environment that provides a modernized means of protecting college athletes from those who may wish to do them harm for gambling purposes. The expansion of legal sports betting is likely to be a net positive for the integrity of both betting markets and sporting events. As sports bettors begin accessing the legal regulated sports wagering market in larger numbers, illegal products and markets will likely become less attractive alternatives . The time has come for the NCAA , collegiate athletic conferences, and colleges and universities to take the steps necessary to coexist with widespread legal betting markets. This Article provides the necessary framework for collegiate sports organizations to move forward with modernizing sports wagering education and awareness for collegiate athletes through (a) adopting best practices; (b) establishing reporting processes; and (c) creating a necessary system of education that provides additional measures of protection and awareness of the threats brought on by nefarious individuals.

Rights

© 2022 Brigham Young University Law Review

Recommended Citation

Becky Harris and John T. Holden, Reshaping College Athlete Sports Betting Education, 47 BYU L. Rev. 389 (2022).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.byu.edu/lawreview/vol47/iss2/5