The Big 12 might have to deal with 5 sets of state sports betting laws, including a total ban in Texas.
The Big 12 Conference is taking a “wait and see” approach to legalized sports betting. The Big 12 commissioner, Bob Bowlsby, answered questions on the subject from local media at Big 12 Media Days this week.
Those questions came after the Big Ten Conference asked for a 2-year moratorium on NCAA college football betting. Officials from other major conferences have discussed integrity fees. The Big 12, which consists of schools from 5 different states, has no set position.
A quick survey of the opinions from NCAA football coaches and athletic directors shows the challenges inherent with legal college football betting. Most conferences will have to deal with a patchwork of state gaming laws instead of one set of policies.
50 States, 50 Different Laws?
Bob Bowlsby addressed those concerns during the Media Days press conference. He said, “I think we’re very much in a wait-and-see environment right now. There’s a lot of talk about integrity fees.”
“There is a lot of talk about how it gets managed. Are we really going to end up with 50 states that all have different laws on legalized gambling?”
Bowlsby’s question shows why many officials in US sports associations push for federal sports betting regulations. Major League Baseball’s Rob Manfred wants a federal sports betting law, while NBA Commission has pushed for such legislation in the past.
Texas Unlikely to Pass Sportsbook Legalization
The Big 12 could prove to be a troublesome conference for college football betting. Four of its schools are based in Texas, and Texas has almost no chance of passing legalized sports betting in the near future. A year ago, the Texas State Legislature refused to legalize fantasy sports betting (in any form). Fantasy sports are considered a benign form of betting, because the typical fantasy bet takes place over the course of an entire season.
Pitted against that is the University of West Virginia, which is located in a state which is ready to jump on the legal sportsbook bandwager. West Virginia’s attorney general wrote an amicus brief in support of New Jersey’s challenge to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which a total of 20 US states eventually signed onto. New Jerseys’ challenge to PASPA eventually led to the landmark US Supreme Court decision which struck down a federal ban on sports betting in 46 states.
Eilers & Krejcik Study
In the wake of that decision, Eilers & Krejcik predicted 44 states would legalize sports betting in the next 7 years. That would mean 44 different sets of laws.
While many states use a single influential jurisdiction, like Nevada or New Jersey, as a template for their gaming laws, each deals with different political dynamics, personalities, and local interests. Each state would have subtle differences that would make administering sports betting a nightmare for someone like Bob Bowlsby.
College and High School Sports Betting?
Bowlsby pointed out some of the questions which would have to be answered. “What do we end up with if a couple of our states in the Big 12 footprint have legalized gambling and three others don’t?”
“What do you end up with if some say you can bet on professional sports, but you can’t bet on high school and college sports? It’s just taking a while to settle in and, frankly, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”
New Jersey: A Sports Betting Template
New Jersey banned sports betting on high school sports, so readers can expect most states to follow suit. College sports is another matter. For instance, New Jersey allows for sports betting on college games which do not involve teams from New Jersey. You can bet on games involving the Big 12, Big Ten, ACC, or SEC, as long as those teams do not play Rutgers (Big Ten) or other New Jersey schools.
For a state with one major football power, that can be troublesome. For states with multiple football powers, like Florida (Miama, FSU, Florida Gators) or Texas (UT, A&M, Tech, TCU, Baylor) the number of games that would be off-limits would be significant each week.
Will Players Place Sports Bets?
A basic question many officials have is the integrity of games. With legal sports betting nearby, will college football players engage in sports betting themselves. With inside knowledge of injuries and tactics, some might think they have an advantage.
The act of betting could affect the outcome of games, simply because players who bet would be cognizant of the betting implications of their in-game actions. West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen said that was not a concern to him.
At the Big 12 Media Days event, Holgorsen said, “I don’t have any fears. If there were five different spots in West Virginia (to gamble on) I don’t think any of our players are going to go do that. They’re the most recognizable figures in our state. If they’re dumb enough to do that, then they’re dumb enough to do a whole bunch of other stuff.”
Will Players Fix Games or Shave Points?
Players making sports bets might not be the problem, though. While NFL players are paid millions of dollars and therefore are unlikely to take bribes from match-fixers, many college football players face financial distress. While they have a full athletic scholarship, the terms of those scholarships and the time constraints of major college football means they cannot take jobs. If a player’s family does not have the means to bankroll their living expenses, football players might be a target of match-fixers.
One reason the NCAA has sanctioned schools that allow high-priced boosters to pay players is the influence those payments give the boosters over players. Boosters and alumni have been known to gamble on sports, then pressure players to help them cover a betting line — or come a few points short.
With legal sports betting, that possibility grows. Professional match-fixers, which tend to have troubled international sports more, have been known to want college players to shave points before (usually basketball players). Holgorsen said coaches will address the risks to players. He said, “We will talk to our players about it. We do every year.”
Speaking of sports betting-related infractions, Holgorsen said, “It used to be the No. 1 thing that would get you banned from being able to play football. It was a clear-cut No. 1. It’s probably a clear-cut No. 2 now, based on what’s happened over the last few years, but it’s something we will address with them.”
