Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto was recently suspended from the National Hockey League because of his involvement in sports betting. Prohibited from participating in the next 41 games, the player has now sparked concerns about the prevalence of wagering.

The Canadian Press spoke with experts on the matter. According to gambling researchers, young athletes are very vulnerable to the temptation of betting.

The American Hockey League is currently discussing whether changes to its gambling-related policies are needed. The Canadian Hockey League, in the meantime, created a new sports betting policy prior to the start of the current season.

The CHL’s new athlete program includes gambling education that helps athletes realize the dangers of gambling and provides them with knowledge of the risks they take when placing a wager.

The NHL Should Protect Younger Athletes

Professor David Hodgins from the University of Calgary, who is a member of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, believes that operators’ aggressive advertisement makes it impossible not to have such cases. Hodgins said that it is “inevitable” that some athletes would be enticed to involve themselves with gambling.

The professor advised the NHL to not ignore the issue and to recognize the dangers of gambling addiction.

Andrew Kim, another University of Calgary professor, said that leagues need to realize the dangers that gambling poses to young people. He pointed out that younger adults are usually at much greater risk of developing addictive tendencies. Unfortunately, not all problem players exhibit clear signs of their addiction, Kim added.

Kim added that young NHL players might be unhappy to be prohibited from gambling while fans the same age as day are allowed to be exposed to gambling and bet on games. The professor said that the situation is “intertwined” and very complex.

Kim concluded that many young athletes turn to betting because of false security in their knowledge of the sport. He said that many players believe that they are experts in predicting outcomes and analyzing games, just because they are playing professionally. Kim said that this might be true for some but pointed out that gambling, by design, makes it more likely to lose than win.

In the meantime, the NFL recently introduced changes to its gambling policies coming shortly after a gambling scandal involving young Iowan athletes. Some players in that case were even accused of “tampering with records,” although lawyers refuted these claims as ludicrous. One legal representative noted that the state shouldn’t be so surprised when young athletes demonstrate interest in betting.

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Over the last five years, legal sports betting has grown exponentially across the United States. The repeal of PASPA in 2018 started this process and by now, more than 30 states offer some form of legal sports betting, while a handful of states have legalized the activity and anticipate its launch.

Professional sports leagues have also joined the hype, with recognizable sports betting giants sponsoring popular teams and professional athletes participating in commercials. Amid the popularity of betting, the National Football League (NFL) was shaken by scandals and more than a dozen players facing penalties over allegations of breaches related to gambling since the start of the year.

Now, a report released by The Associated Press reveals that some athletes approve of the efforts of the NFL when it comes to education on gambling policies, while others think that those actions came a little too late. Mason Cole, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ center, supported the idea that the policies presented by the NFL when it comes to gambling have been clear. “Nobody wants to be suspended without pay for a year. Nobody is trying to do that, so I think it’s a pretty good deterrent,” explained Cole.

There are currently six primary rules related to gambling introduced by the NFL. In addition to the league, the NFL Players Association also contributed toward education on gambling policies. In general, the rules prohibit athletes from betting on any NFL game or placing bets via third parties. The rules also do not allow fantasy football wagering and prohibit placing bets on other sports while on league property, or while with the team at a hotel, airplane or other team facilities. Despite the established rules, more than a dozen athletes have faced penalties since the start of the year.

Gambling Is All around Athletes

While some agree that the policies on gambling are clear, others criticized the expansion of legal sports betting such as Deatrich Wise Jr., the defensive end for the New England Patriots who said: “You have a team in Vegas that’s pretty much right beside the biggest gambling spot in the world.” He said that outside of radio and TV, he sees information regarding different bets, including fantasy leagues and other gambling activities. The Patriots defensive end added: “So gambling is around us more and more.”

The six rules within the NFL’s gambling policy sounded different last year, added Jerry Jacobs, cornerback for the Detroit Lions. He criticized the policies, explaining that last year the rules were not presented in such a way. According to Jacobs, last year the athletes were only told not to gamble, without the specifics on where that was and wasn’t allowed.

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The University of Iowa has announced that 11 of its current student-athletes are set to face NCAA eligibility impacts in the aftermath of a comprehensive sports wagering inquiry that spanned over three months. The Iowa athletics department unveiled the reinstatement “determinations” by the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) staff in a press release on August 22.

Athletes Not Linked to Probe Await NCAA Verdict

While the identities of the affected athletes are yet to be disclosed, the university has clarified that the release of specifics will be contingent upon receiving consent from the individuals involved, as required by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The institution is striving to adhere to legal and ethical considerations while sharing information.

The NCAA had introduced revised guidelines earlier in the summer, outlining a spectrum of penalties ranging from mandatory sports wagering education to the potential forfeiture of collegiate eligibility for good. The consequences appear especially dire for current Iowa football players Aaron Blom, a kicker, and Jak Johnson, a wide receiver, both of whom face allegations of tampering with records and accusations of placing bets on their own team.

The gravity of the repercussions remains unclear for athletes not implicated in the ongoing criminal probe. Iowa’s interim athletics director, Beth Goetz, stated last week that while the prescribed penalties are widely known, the NCAA’s approach typically includes factoring in mitigating circumstances that could have contributed to the violations.

Iowa Universities Grapple with Gambling Scandal Fallout

The University of Iowa’s response to the NCAA’s decisions underscores its commitment to the well-being and rights of its student-athletes. The institution is firmly in favor of those individuals opting to appeal the SAR staff’s decisions. The university pledged to provide unwavering support to student-athletes pursuing the appeal process.

The ripple effects of the investigation have extended beyond the confines of Iowa City. Iowa State University is facing a similar gambling inquiry, with approximately 15 student-athletes reportedly under scrutiny. However, as of the most recent update, the school has not made any announcements concerning eligibility determinations.

Last week Iowa State University’s football program faced turmoil as starting defensive lineman Isaiah Lee departed amid an ongoing gambling investigation. Lee, accused of betting on Iowa State sports, including games involving his own team, potentially jeopardizes his athletic eligibility under NCAA regulations. The scandal has impacted other players, including quarterback Hunter Dekkers, prompting the university to collaborate with the NCAA to address eligibility concerns.

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Dr Timothy Fong, a member of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program, spoke about the impact of problem gambling on student-athletes during the UNLV Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking. As reported by SBCAmericas, he also talked about how the harassment players receive from bettors can undermine their performance.

Students are considered to be high-risk gamblers. In addition, research shows that athletes are more exposed to gambling problems than other people. As a result, student-athletes, especially in the US where gambling is prevalent, are a very vulnerable demographic.

Fortunately, many recognize this issue and try to take action. Fong cited the program at Towson University that seeks to protect student-athletes from gambling and gambling-related harm. The program includes ways to identify potential gamblers and help them deal with their problems.

Echoing New Jersey’s recent decision to help young gamblers instead of punishing them, the University of California seeks to treat players instead of scrutinizing and suspending them.

We assess them, we treat them, and we get them to continue to be able to train and not sent home.

Dr Timothy Fong, director of sports psychiatry services, UCLA

Another problem that athletes all over the world face is harassment, which is oftentimes fostered by the discontentment of sports bettors who didn’t get their way. Harassment can happen both online and in the real world and can have a devastating traumatizing effect on young players.

Student-athletes would develop anxiety because of all the negative comments, which would affect their in-game performance as they would constantly worry. Dealing with this issue can become as important as training, eating properly and resting, Fong argued.

Suddenly, sports betting becomes a training issue. Just like cardio, strength training, sleep, nutrition, it becomes embedded as part of the athlete’s experience.

Dr Timothy Fong, director of sports psychiatry services, UCLA

Unfortunately, the growth of sports betting in the US has exacerbated the issue, with more harassment now circulating in the online space than ever before. The legalization of wagering in new markets has led to a sharp increase in harassment against athletes.

Some comments would simply say mean things about players but in certain cases, angry bettors may threaten the lives of athletes. Sometimes, the authorities would intervene and take offenders to court. Unfortunately, however, many harassers go unpunished.

The worst thing is that there is still not enough clear data about the issue and its prevalence. The exact number of affected athletes is also unknown, since no sufficient research has been done and since not all players like to comment on the matter.

Fong concluded that he hopes stakeholders will do something to address the issue.

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The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) will work with its member operators to establish and fund a new education program for Canadian athletes. The announcement was initially made at the Symposium on Competition Manipulation and Gambling in Sport event in Toronto.

With representatives of notable North American sports leagues, such as the CFL, CPL, Hockey Canada, NFL, NBA and NHL in attendance, the IBIA unveiled the new program. Regulators such as the AGCO and Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission also had representatives in attendance.

It announced that the new initiative will be funded by its member operators bet365, Betway and FanDuel, which will invest at least $220,000 (converted to USD) over three years. The funding partners are currently discussing a delivery body and are planning to come up with a decision in the coming weeks.

The program will seek to shield athletes from sports betting fraud and match-fixing. It will include face-to-face athlete training, as well as a digital portal for learning. In addition, athletes will be able to benefit from awareness-raising material and use an anonymous reporting app to share their experiences.

Representatives from the involved parties commented on the new project. Jean-Francois Reymond, a former basketball pro and education ambassador at the IBIA, was the one to announce the project. He explained that in order to protect the integrity of sports, one has to also protect the integrity of athletes.

Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. Our objective is to build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sports and the careers of Canada’s athletes.

Jean-Francois Reymond, education ambassador, IBIA

IBIA’s chief executive officer, Khalid Ali, also commented on the matter. He said that the association is happy to see that its members are interested in promoting sports betting education and are willing to invest in the initiative. Ali noted that the IBIA truly cares about sports integrity and investing in the well-being of the athletes that make sports possible.

Betway’s chief executive, Anthony Werkman, also shared his thoughts, affirming the importance of sports integrity. He said that his brand is committed to combating corruption in sports betting, both globally and locally. Werkman concluded that Betway is excited to work together with other IBIA members on the new project.

Finally, Dale Hooper, GM of FanDuel Canada, said Ontario is a fairly young market and therefore one in need of additional protections and educational programs. His team is looking forward to helping to increase the understanding of betting and the protection of athletes and bettors in the region.

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