The NCAA revised its rules regarding sports betting for collegiate athletes, and they are fickle as ever.
Previously, any form of betting by an athlete or staff member was prohibited, but new rules allow for betting on professional sports while maintaining a ban on betting on collegiate sports.
The new rules were supposed to go into effect on Nov. 1, but requests to overturn the ruling have delayed them until Nov. 22.
Online betting has taken the industry to new heights, and it now feels impossible to watch a sporting event without seeing advertising for a sportsbook at some point.
There are many views about how betting is affecting sports and if more or fewer regulations need to be placed on athletes who participate in sports betting. My opinion on the concept would be a drop in the sea.
What needs to be pointed out is how leagues are responsible for facilitating the culture of sports betting yet punishing their athletes for participating in it.
Obviously, betting on games or setting up a system to profit off games that an athlete participates in should remain illegal and should be rightfully punished, but what about betting on games they are not affiliated with?
NFL players Calvin Ridley and Jameson Williams both served suspensions for betting on sports and games they were not involved in. The NBA also strictly prohibits any player from betting on any NBA game, even if they are not involved in it.
I could go on.
With such heavy restrictions and punishments, you would think that leagues and organizations would not want to touch the subject of gambling with a 10-foot pole, yet the leagues have direct involvement in making sports betting as popular as it is.
Every time there is a commercial break in the NFL, fans are reminded of how DraftKings is the official betting partner of the NFL and every commercial break in the NBA details the newest promotion on FanDuel.
Even talk shows on ESPN that discuss betting scandals constantly, remind you that their show is brought to you by ESPN Bet.
Something has to change with how leagues approach sports betting. It either needs to be fully embraced or fully rejected with no in-between.
If the culture of betting is embraced, then athletes should not be punished for betting on games they don’t participate in, and as fans, we’ll keep enduring the obnoxious commercials.
If the culture is rejected, then punish athletes who bet on sports but also take down all the commercials related to betting during games and end partnerships with sportsbooks.
With the state of things right now, it’s ridiculous how leagues and sports outlets treat sports betting like a taboo but then proceed to promote the industry every chance they get. This would be like banning players from drinking Gatorade but actively promoting the drink through commercials and social media posts.
The unfortunate truth is that players continue to be punished for betting on sports, and that the amount of people who have developed a gambling addiction has shot up due to the rise of online betting, which sports leagues have helped popularize.
Leagues should take some of the responsibility for the negative effects that gambling has caused on people, whether athletes or not, and their opinion on the subject needs to be consistent.
With NCAA athletes soon being able to bet on professional sports games, this could be a sign that organizations will keep taking steps toward embracing betting culture, which is fine. I’m not asking for betting to become outright banned or completely unregulated. I only ask leagues to provide consistent actions regarding the subject. Stop being fence-sitters!
Photo from On3.