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Sports Wagering

 

NCAA Sports Wagering Web Site

Sports Wagering Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the NCAA's position on gambling?
The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering. The NCAA believes sports 
should be appreciated for the benefits of participating or watching, not the amount of money that 
can be won or lost depending on the outcome of the games.
Why does the NCAA care about gambling?
Sports wagering threatens both the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of the game.
How does the NCAA define sports wagering?
Wagering is defined as putting something at risk – such as an entry fee or a wager – in return for 
the opportunity to win something. 
What are the NCAA rules regarding sports wagering?
Student-athletes, coaches, athletic department and national office staff cannot place a wager on 
any college or professional sporting event in which the NCAA conducts a championship. 
This includes:
  1. Wagers for items such as cash, meals or apparel,
  2. Fantasy sports leagues, or
  3. Sports pools such as March Madness bracket contests.
Additionally, student-athletes, coaches and athletic department staff may not share information 
that could be used to wager on sports, including:
  1. Injury updates,
  2. Team disciplinary actions, or
  3. New plays or schemes.
What are the consequences if student-athletes wager on sports?
Consequences include:
  1. Loss of eligibility.
  2. Jail Time.  
  3. Additionally, internet gambling is illegal and a federal crime.
  4. Threats and possible harm. Student-athletes that wager on sports are viewed by organized gambling as easy marks for obtaining inside information or affecting the outcome of a game. 
  5. Financial hardship.
  6. Media scrutiny.
  7. Loss of future employment.
Why does the NCAA care about small amounts of money wagered between friends on the 
March Madness tournament?
Bracket contests and sports pools are illegal in most states and often times serve as the entry 
point for youth to begin gambling. The NCAA believes fans should enjoy the games for the 
competition and not for the money they could possibly win.
How can you avoid trouble related to sports wagering?
  1. Stay out of casinos and horse tracks.
  2. Avoid contact with known gamblers, including friends.
  3. Avoid online gambling.
Why should prospective student-athletes avoid wagering on sports?
Prospective student-athletes should avoid wagering on sports because it makes them a target 
when they enter college. Often times sports wagering is funded by organized crime and if a 
prospective student-athlete is wagering with someone connected to organized crime, they may be exploited once they enter college. 
NCAA Bylaws:

10.01.1 HONESTY AND SPORTSMANSHIP.
Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports.

10.02.1 SPORTS WAGERING.
Sports wagering includes placing, accepting or soliciting a wager (on a staff member's or student-athlete's own behalf or on behalf of others) of any type with any individual or organization on any intercollegiate, amateur or professional team or contest. Examples of sports wagering include, but are not limited to, the use of a bookmaker or parlay card; Internet sports wagering; auctions in which bids are placed on teams, individuals or contests; and pools or fantasy leagues in which an entry fee is required and there is an opportunity to win a prize. (Adopted: 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07)

10.02.2 WAGER.
A wager is any agreement in which an individual or entity agrees to give up an item of value (e.g., cash, shirt, dinner) in exchange for the possibility of gaining another item of value. (Adopted: 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07)

10.1 UNETHICAL CONDUCT
Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department even if he or she does not receive compensation for such work, may include, but is not limited to, the following:  (Revised: 1/10/90, 1/9/96, 7/20/10, 2/24/11)

(a) Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution;

(b) Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete;

(c) Knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid;  (Revised: 1/9/96)

(d) Knowingly furnishing or knowingly influencing others to furnish the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning an individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation; (Revised: 1/13/10)

(e) Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for facilitating or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or advisor (e.g., "runner");  (Adopted: 1/9/96, Revised: 4/26/06)

(f) Knowing involvement in providing a banned substance or impermissible supplement to student-athletes, or knowingly providing medications to student-athletes contrary to medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care in sports medicine practice, or state or federal law.  This provision shall not apply to banned substances for which the student-athlete has received a medical exception per Bylaw 31.2.3.5; however, the substance must be provided in accordance with medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care and state or federal law;  (Adopted: 1/9/06, Revised: 4/26/06, 5/29/08, 10/19/10)

(g) Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA, the NCAA Eligibility Center or institution's admissions office regarding an individual's academic record (e.g., schools attended, completion of coursework, grades, test scores); (Revised: 4/26/06, 3/3/10)

(h) Fraudulence or misconduct in connection with entrance or placement examinations;  (Revised: 4/26/06, 1/5/07)

(i) Engaging in any athletics competition under an assumed name or with intent otherwise to deceive; or  (Revised: 4/26/06, 1/5/07)

(j) Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA, the NCAA Eligibility Center or the institution's athletics department regarding an individual's amateur status.  (Adopted:  1/5/07)

10.2 KNOWLEDGE OF USE OF BANNED DRUGS
A member institution's athletics department staff members or others employed by the intercollegiate athletics program who have knowledge of a student-athlete's use at any time of a substance on the list of banned drugs, as set forth in Bylaw 31.2.3.4 shall follow institutional procedures dealing with drug abuse or shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.5.2.2.

10.3 SPORTS WAGERING ACTIVITIES 
The following individuals shall not knowingly participate in sports wagering activities or provide information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports wagering activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition: (Adopted: 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07)
(a) Staff members of an institution's athletics department;
(b) Nonathletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department (e.g., chancellor or president, faculty athletics representative, individual to whom athletics reports);
(c) Staff members of a conference office; and
(d) Student-athletes.

10.3.1 SCOPE OF APPLICATION.
The prohibition against sports wagering applies to any institutional practice or any competition (intercollegiate, amateur or professional) in a sport in which the Association conducts championship competition, in bowl subdivision football and in emerging sports for women.  (Adopted: 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07, Revised: 3/3/10)

10.3.2 SANCTIONS.
 The following sanctions for violations of Bylaw 10.3 shall apply:

(a) A student-athlete who engages in activities designed to influence the outcome of an intercollegiate contest or in an effort to affect win-loss margins (i.e., "point shaving") or who participates in any sports wagering activity involving the student-athlete's institution shall permanently lose all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports. (Revised: 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07, 3/3/10)

(b) A student-athlete who participates in any sports wagering activity through the Internet, a bookmaker or a parlay card shall be ineligible for all regular-season and postseason competition for a minimum period of one year from the date of the institution's determination that a violation occurred and shall be charged with the loss of a minimum of one season of eligibility.  If the student-athlete is later determined to have been involved in a violation of any portion of Bylaw 10.3, the student-athlete shall permanently lose all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports.  (Adopted: 1/8/01, Revised: 4/11/06, 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07, 3/3/10)

10.4 DISCIPLINARY ACTION 
Prospective or enrolled student-athletes found in violation of the provisions of this regulation shall be ineligible for further intercollegiate competition, subject to appeal to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for restoration of eligibility (see Bylaw 10.3.2 for sanctions of student-athletes involved in violations of Bylaw 10.3). Institutional staff members found in violation of the provisions of this regulation shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.5.2.2 of the NCAA enforcement procedures, whether such violations occurred at the certifying institution or during the individual's previous employment at another member institution. (Revised: 1/10/90, 1/8/01, 1/8/07 effective 8/1/07)