Drawing the line between sports gambling and college athletics has not been easy

News broke Sept. 30 that former baseball great Pete Rose died at age 83. The next day, ESPN’s “SportsCenter” was host to a discussion of Rose’s legacy, including his lifetime ban from baseball for wagering on the sport. The segment was sponsored by DraftKings.

Such is the push/pull of modern sports. The industry accepts advertising dollars from sportsbooks but at the same time bans its athletes from participating.

It’s no different in college athletics, where many of the participants are young males, the dominant demographic of those who participate in retail and mobile sports wagering.

A 2023 NCAA survey of school compliance directors found that 27% had dealt with a sports wagering problem among athletes and staff within the past year.

“Student-athletes are getting harassed by bettors, and billion-dollar ad campaigns are targeting young people across the country. We need all the help we can get, including from regulators and sportsbooks, to protect student-athletes and protect the integrity of the games,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said. “The NCAA will use this staff survey data, as well as data from our prior sports betting activities survey of college-age respondents, to make the best tools available to help schools educate student-athletes on how and why to avoid sports betting. Clearly there is more work to do, but this survey will be a big help with all our sports betting efforts.”

NCAA does not allow student-athletes to wager on any NCAA sanctioned sporting event. NAIA athletes are not allowed to wager on sports, as well. The Kentucky High School Athletics Association does not allow athletes to bet. The legal betting age in Kentucky is 18. Kentucky law says not only is it illegal for athletes to bet on events in which they participate, but it is also a misdemeanor for “spouses and close family members” to wager on those events.

In February, ESPN’s John Barr wrote of a former college athlete who said he became an agent for a bookmaker and made bets for 55 to 60 people, including more than a dozen athletes.

In March, the NCAA announced a new program called “Draw the Line” to educate athletes and highlight gambling problems.

Earlier this college football season, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne said he received Venmo requests for payments on lost bets after he threw four interceptions in the Tigers’ loss to California.

“Obviously people say not to listen to it and all that, but that’s easier said than done because in today’s world they come at you from all different angles” Thorne said. “You hear it verbally, but that’s probably the least one. Just walking down the street, you hear it sometimes. Then obviously on the social medias. They’ll hit you on Venmo and all that type of stuff.”

Those Venmo requests only go one way.

“No, they’re definitely not sending cash,” Thorne said. “It’s funny. When they lose money, they want the money back. But when they win money on a parlay, no one is ever sending me any money.”

Even before Kentucky legalized sports gambling there were college betting scandals involving athletes or coaches at Iowa, Iowa State and Alabama, just to name three.

Sports gambling has had a place in University of Kentucky athletics history dating back to the point-shaving scandal involving the men’s basketball team in 1951. Four of Adolph Rupp’s players were accused of accepting bribes from gamblers.

One of those players, All-American Ralph Beard, would later speak to athletes about the dangers of gambling.

Currently, UK holds meetings with student-athletes about NCAA rules regarding sports gambling.

“Sports gambling in Kentucky has been new the last year, but for us in college athletics, we always have had to educate our student-athletes on the dangers and risks of being involved in sports wagering,” UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart said. “We brought in ‘U.S. Integrity’ to educate all student-athletes and staff in 2023. Every year, everyone in UK Athletics is reminded about the rules and regulations at preseason meetings. “

The SEC works with U.S. Integrity on a monitoring system called “ProhiBet” to prevent athletes and coaches from placing online or in-person wagers.

“An area that is hard to completely control,” Barnhart said, “but that we also work to educate our student-athletes and staff on — is social media bullying and harassment that people who have bet money on competitions engage in.”

UK officials have also met with Keeneland and Red Mile to discuss ways to work together.

How has the first year of legal sports gambling in Kentucky gone? It’s a winning bet.

Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling president: ‘The year has been very busy’

How Kentucky’s first-year sports gambling statistics stack up against other states

How has sports gambling in Kentucky affected horse racing? So far, so good.