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Should Betting be Allowed on College Sports?
MIAMI - Bob Minnix recently posed the question to the sports-law class he teaches at Florida State's law school. How many of you don't think you could leave this room and place a bet somewhere around this campus in 10 minutes? "In a class of 50 students, only 10 hands went up," recalled Minnix, whose primary job is as the Seminoles' compliance chief. "The rest of them knew exactly where to go." The anecdote jumps out these days as FSU finds itself at the center of side-by-side investigations into illegal gambling on campus, one of which involves former starting quarterback Adrian McPherson and could expand. FSU, though, hardly would be considered the exception. Numerous studies indicate that despite long-standing antigambling laws, sports wagering has become an accepted - even common - part of campus life. A football player involved in Boston College's 1996 betting scandal told NCAA investigators he thought gambling was "just part of the college experience. To tell the truth, it never crossed my mind it was illegal, it was so commonplace." And despite NCAA rules that mandate a one-year suspension for an athlete who gambles on sports and a lifetime ban for bets involving his or her own team, nearly half of Division I football and basketball players either ignore the warnings or don't comprehend the seriousness. "If you got candid opinions from athletic directors around the country, the thing they fear most is this issue," said Richard Lapchick, the renowned sports sociologist who heads the DeVos Sports Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida. It certainly sends a shiver down the spine of those entrusted with a school's on-field exploits. "God, that's a horrible thing," said Don Soldinger, who coaches top-ranked Miami's running backs. "You just hope that it doesn't go on... . It's part of your talks in the preseason about gambling and stuff like that. But you don't know what kids are doing when they leave you, you know?"
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In its 2002 study, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal estimated the sports industry to turn over about $213 billion in revenue - twice the size of the auto industry. Estimates place the gambling industry at about $800 billion. Of that, according to the federally appointed National Gambling Impact Study Commission, as much as $380 billion is wagered on sports events legally and illegally. On college campuses, a 1991 survey by university researchers at six schools across the nation showed one-third of male students and 15 percent of females gambled at least once a week.Suddenly, that show of hands in Minnix's law class doesn't look so abnormal. "I'd be a liar if I said I didn't know anybody who gambles," said UM tight end Eric Winston, quickly adding he knew of no teammates who bet. "There are some students who do it, and if that's what they want to do with their money, I guess that's what they want to do." Though point-shaving scandals at Boston College, Northwestern and Arizona State grabbed headlines in the mid-1990s, it's doubtful anyone was prepared for the results of a 1998 nationwide survey of 758 Division I football and basketball players. The study, conducted by the University of Michigan, found 72 percent of athletes had gambled in some way since entering college - anything from buying a lottery ticket to casino betting to a friendly wager with a fellow student. Among male athletes, 80 percent had gambled. Moreover, 45 percent of male athletes acknowledged they had gambled on sports while on campus. And 5 percent said they had either given inside information for gambling purposes, bet on games they played or took money to perform poorly. "This activity, and everything that comes along with it, can really destroy the integrity of the game," said Kevin Matthews, director of external affairs for Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. Then again, added Matthews, "Unless we want to rewire our society, it's naive to think there's some sort of purity within these games." The Michigan numbers weren't all that much different from a 1996 University of Cincinnati survey of Division I football and basketball players. It found 26 percent reported gambling on sporting events and 4 percent bet on games they played. Three of 648 respondents admitted changing the outcome of a game. "When 25 percent of your athletes are doing it, we know we have a problem," said Bill Saum, the NCAA's head of gambling enforcement. The problem reared its head on another state campus less than two years ago. Teddy Dupay, the No. 3 scorer on Florida's 2000 NCAA basketball runner-up, surrendered his senior season in September 2001 amid a probe into alleged gambling activity. Dupay was a named co-defendant with a former roommate in a five-month investigation. Though never charged, a 48-page report from the State Attorney's Office said Dupay shared information with his friend, who in turn bet on UF games. The report also alleged Dupay placed bets through his friend and even wagered on the Gators. At FSU, McPherson was dismissed from the Seminoles and later arrested on suspicion of being involved in a stolen-check scam. He also was questioned by athletic director Dave Hart about gambling rumors. "You would think that as athletes, we would know the consequences," FSU linebacker Kendyll Pope said. "I know it goes on, but you stay away. That would be real stupid for someone to get involved in that."
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How easy is it, though, to draw the line in a world that places so many hit-it-big options in front of us? "Bingo, scratch tickets at McDonald's, state lotteries, casino gambling has brought about an acceptance of gambling that has laid the foundation for the implicit acceptance of illegal gambling throughout the country," Northeastern's Matthews said. In written testimony before the NGISC, Saum also suggested societal factors might have dulled athletes' sense of right and wrong. "I saw gambling every day in the inner city," he quoted a player involved in the Northwestern scandal. "People were playing cards and shooting dice. It was normal." In fact, nearly every one of the more than half-dozen administrators and academics contacted by The Herald echoed the same statement almost word-for-word: You can readily find a bookie on any campus in America. "And a lot of those bookies are students - the guy who lives down the hall or a kid in the frat house," Saum said. The human touch isn't even required anymore. With the rise of Internet wagering, all the bettor really needs is a credit card and a laptop. "It's anonymous," Lapchick said. "When you're online, I've heard people call it like playing a video game. It's exciting, it's fun, it happens fast. The difference, of course, is it's not a video game."
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After Thursday's UM practice, a reporter approached defensive end Jerome McDougle casually asking if there were "any friendly wagers" with teammate Andrew Williams over who eventually would get drafted first. McDougle's arms quickly shot up and waved as if to say "Whoa!!" "No betting, no betting," McDougle said, not a hint of mirth in his voice. The Hurricanes learned last month just how seriously the NCAA treats any hint of wagering when All-American center Brett Romberg was questioned over an off-the-cuff dinner bet. During a September radio appearance, banter with WZTA-FM morning host and UF alumnus Paul Castronovo escalated into a wager on the pending UM-UF contest. That violated NCAA bylaw 10.3, which prohibits student-athletes, among other things, from soliciting or accepting a bet on "any intercollegiate competition for any item that has tangible value." Dinner was specifically cited as an example. Romberg, who could have faced a one-game suspension, never claimed his dinner after UM's 41-16 win. He eventually was cleared of any wrongdoing. "We talked about being careful about the semantics that you use," UM coach Larry Coker said. "That wasn't a gambling issue; that was more of a silly comment." Saum wasn't as easygoing. "It's certainly understandable when people think it's silly," he said. "But you have to take the position that any form of gambling is wrong." That includes, by the way, those official NCAA basketball brackets you fill out for the office pool every March. The fine print now includes the words: "This bracket should not be used for sweepstakes, contests, office pools or other gambling activities." More of concern for players is the inevitable questions about someone's health or injury status. One man's conversation starter is another's inside information. "On campus, yeah, they try to get inside information and stuff like that," UM safety Maurice Sikes said. "The best thing to do when someone asks me something like that is, `Hey, I don't know.' " Added Winston: "I haven't had any of that. Usually it's, `Play good. I have a lot riding on it.' " Schools differ in procedure when word of gambling-related contact does arise. At UF, athletic director Jeremy Foley's first two calls upon hearing allegations against Teddy Dupay went to compliance director Jamie McCloskey and university police. "That's a police matter," he said. "We cooperate fully, but we stay very much outside it, as it should be. We want results, we want the truth, but we don't get directly involved."
***
In recent years, the NCAA has sponsored a program titled "Don't Bet on It," combining public-service ads during telecasts of NCAA championships and a booklet promoting good financial management and the dangers of sports wagering. The NCAA also is working to develop research in the area of youth and campus gambling, Saum said. He has cited a 1999 Gallup Poll reporting teens start betting on college sports as early as age 10 and wager on college sports at twice the rate of adults. But can the NCAA stop it? Indeed, Saum heads a five-person department also charged with handling sports-agent issues. And despite the claims that campus bookies are as accessible as pizza delivery, law enforcement's priorities lie elsewhere. "It's like a dog chasing its tail," Saum said. "Law enforcement knows what's going on, but it can be only as good as the prosecution. And prosecution is effective only if you get good sentences. Some people think this is not a problem." Seven years ago, Lubbock, Texas, police staged a citywide crackdown on bookies after a Sports Illustrated article singled out Texas Tech as a gambling hot spot. These days student gambling is as big as ever. Florida State had been hailed among the leaders in stepping up the antigambling fight. Under Minnix's direction, FSU's "gambling action team" takes its message to athletes and non-athletes, emphasizing awareness and counseling.
***
In its 2002 study, Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal estimated the sports industry to turn over about $213 billion in revenue - twice the size of the auto industry. Estimates place the gambling industry at about $800 billion. Of that, according to the federally appointed National Gambling Impact Study Commission, as much as $380 billion is wagered on sports events legally and illegally. On college campuses, a 1991 survey by university researchers at six schools across the nation showed one-third of male students and 15 percent of females gambled at least once a week.Suddenly, that show of hands in Minnix's law class doesn't look so abnormal. "I'd be a liar if I said I didn't know anybody who gambles," said UM tight end Eric Winston, quickly adding he knew of no teammates who bet. "There are some students who do it, and if that's what they want to do with their money, I guess that's what they want to do." Though point-shaving scandals at Boston College, Northwestern and Arizona State grabbed headlines in the mid-1990s, it's doubtful anyone was prepared for the results of a 1998 nationwide survey of 758 Division I football and basketball players. The study, conducted by the University of Michigan, found 72 percent of athletes had gambled in some way since entering college - anything from buying a lottery ticket to casino betting to a friendly wager with a fellow student. Among male athletes, 80 percent had gambled. Moreover, 45 percent of male athletes acknowledged they had gambled on sports while on campus. And 5 percent said they had either given inside information for gambling purposes, bet on games they played or took money to perform poorly. "This activity, and everything that comes along with it, can really destroy the integrity of the game," said Kevin Matthews, director of external affairs for Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society. Then again, added Matthews, "Unless we want to rewire our society, it's naive to think there's some sort of purity within these games." The Michigan numbers weren't all that much different from a 1996 University of Cincinnati survey of Division I football and basketball players. It found 26 percent reported gambling on sporting events and 4 percent bet on games they played. Three of 648 respondents admitted changing the outcome of a game. "When 25 percent of your athletes are doing it, we know we have a problem," said Bill Saum, the NCAA's head of gambling enforcement. The problem reared its head on another state campus less than two years ago. Teddy Dupay, the No. 3 scorer on Florida's 2000 NCAA basketball runner-up, surrendered his senior season in September 2001 amid a probe into alleged gambling activity. Dupay was a named co-defendant with a former roommate in a five-month investigation. Though never charged, a 48-page report from the State Attorney's Office said Dupay shared information with his friend, who in turn bet on UF games. The report also alleged Dupay placed bets through his friend and even wagered on the Gators. At FSU, McPherson was dismissed from the Seminoles and later arrested on suspicion of being involved in a stolen-check scam. He also was questioned by athletic director Dave Hart about gambling rumors. "You would think that as athletes, we would know the consequences," FSU linebacker Kendyll Pope said. "I know it goes on, but you stay away. That would be real stupid for someone to get involved in that."
***
How easy is it, though, to draw the line in a world that places so many hit-it-big options in front of us? "Bingo, scratch tickets at McDonald's, state lotteries, casino gambling has brought about an acceptance of gambling that has laid the foundation for the implicit acceptance of illegal gambling throughout the country," Northeastern's Matthews said. In written testimony before the NGISC, Saum also suggested societal factors might have dulled athletes' sense of right and wrong. "I saw gambling every day in the inner city," he quoted a player involved in the Northwestern scandal. "People were playing cards and shooting dice. It was normal." In fact, nearly every one of the more than half-dozen administrators and academics contacted by The Herald echoed the same statement almost word-for-word: You can readily find a bookie on any campus in America. "And a lot of those bookies are students - the guy who lives down the hall or a kid in the frat house," Saum said. The human touch isn't even required anymore. With the rise of Internet wagering, all the bettor really needs is a credit card and a laptop. "It's anonymous," Lapchick said. "When you're online, I've heard people call it like playing a video game. It's exciting, it's fun, it happens fast. The difference, of course, is it's not a video game."
***
After Thursday's UM practice, a reporter approached defensive end Jerome McDougle casually asking if there were "any friendly wagers" with teammate Andrew Williams over who eventually would get drafted first. McDougle's arms quickly shot up and waved as if to say "Whoa!!" "No betting, no betting," McDougle said, not a hint of mirth in his voice. The Hurricanes learned last month just how seriously the NCAA treats any hint of wagering when All-American center Brett Romberg was questioned over an off-the-cuff dinner bet. During a September radio appearance, banter with WZTA-FM morning host and UF alumnus Paul Castronovo escalated into a wager on the pending UM-UF contest. That violated NCAA bylaw 10.3, which prohibits student-athletes, among other things, from soliciting or accepting a bet on "any intercollegiate competition for any item that has tangible value." Dinner was specifically cited as an example. Romberg, who could have faced a one-game suspension, never claimed his dinner after UM's 41-16 win. He eventually was cleared of any wrongdoing. "We talked about being careful about the semantics that you use," UM coach Larry Coker said. "That wasn't a gambling issue; that was more of a silly comment." Saum wasn't as easygoing. "It's certainly understandable when people think it's silly," he said. "But you have to take the position that any form of gambling is wrong." That includes, by the way, those official NCAA basketball brackets you fill out for the office pool every March. The fine print now includes the words: "This bracket should not be used for sweepstakes, contests, office pools or other gambling activities." More of concern for players is the inevitable questions about someone's health or injury status. One man's conversation starter is another's inside information. "On campus, yeah, they try to get inside information and stuff like that," UM safety Maurice Sikes said. "The best thing to do when someone asks me something like that is, `Hey, I don't know.' " Added Winston: "I haven't had any of that. Usually it's, `Play good. I have a lot riding on it.' " Schools differ in procedure when word of gambling-related contact does arise. At UF, athletic director Jeremy Foley's first two calls upon hearing allegations against Teddy Dupay went to compliance director Jamie McCloskey and university police. "That's a police matter," he said. "We cooperate fully, but we stay very much outside it, as it should be. We want results, we want the truth, but we don't get directly involved."
***
In recent years, the NCAA has sponsored a program titled "Don't Bet on It," combining public-service ads during telecasts of NCAA championships and a booklet promoting good financial management and the dangers of sports wagering. The NCAA also is working to develop research in the area of youth and campus gambling, Saum said. He has cited a 1999 Gallup Poll reporting teens start betting on college sports as early as age 10 and wager on college sports at twice the rate of adults. But can the NCAA stop it? Indeed, Saum heads a five-person department also charged with handling sports-agent issues. And despite the claims that campus bookies are as accessible as pizza delivery, law enforcement's priorities lie elsewhere. "It's like a dog chasing its tail," Saum said. "Law enforcement knows what's going on, but it can be only as good as the prosecution. And prosecution is effective only if you get good sentences. Some people think this is not a problem." Seven years ago, Lubbock, Texas, police staged a citywide crackdown on bookies after a Sports Illustrated article singled out Texas Tech as a gambling hot spot. These days student gambling is as big as ever. Florida State had been hailed among the leaders in stepping up the antigambling fight. Under Minnix's direction, FSU's "gambling action team" takes its message to athletes and non-athletes, emphasizing awareness and counseling.
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