The NCAA has announced revised guidelines for student-athletes caught gambling on other college sports at their own schools. Under the previous rules established in June, students who bet on their own sports or other sports at their schools faced permanent loss of eligibility. 

NCAA Reforms Penalties for Student-Athlete Gambling

This move comes after the Collegiate Commissioners Association raised concerns about the overly punitive nature of the previous penalties. The change in rules reflects a more balanced approach to address the prevalence of sports betting among college students while still maintaining the integrity of competition.

Under the new guidelines, student-athletes caught wagering on teams at their school, excluding their own team, will now face a one-season suspension and a loss of one year of eligibility. Additionally, they will be required to participate in sports wagering rules and prevention education as a condition of reinstatement. The decision was supported by the Division I Council Coordination Committee, which acknowledged the need to modify reinstatement conditions for specific cases involving sports betting.

Jon Steinbrecher, chair of the Council Coordination Committee and commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, said: “To be clear, Division I members do not encourage student-athletes to engage in sports wagering at any level, and the actions today to modify reinstatement conditions should not be interpreted as support for wagering behaviors.” 

New Rules Reflect Understanding of Student-Athlete Mistakes

The new rules aim to strike a balance between addressing the reality of widespread betting on college campuses and maintaining the integrity of collegiate sports. The penalties are designed to be more fitting for 2023, acknowledging that young athletes might make mistakes without necessarily jeopardizing their entire careers.

It is important to note that despite the adjustment in reinstatement guidelines, the NCAA continues to prohibit student-athletes, coaches, and athletics administrators from engaging in sports wagering in any sport sponsored by the NCAA, including collegiate and professional sports. The change in rules signals a step forward in reevaluating NCAA regulations related to sports wagering, with further discussions likely to follow on this evolving issue.

The updated decision might offer respite to a few athletes implicated in the betting controversies at Iowa and Iowa State. DeShawn Hanika, a tight end at ISU, was cited for betting solely on Iowa State basketball games and not football matches. Nevertheless, nine other football players from both Iowa and Iowa State universities still confront the prospect of losing their eligibility permanently due to their involvement in gambling on their own games.

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A total of 1,241 people were arrested in various operations over the period. The news was confirmed by National Police spokesperson Lieutenant General Chhay Kim Khoeun who outlined the work of authorities during the half-year.

Cambodia Keeps the Heat on Illegal Gambling

Out of the people arrested, 782 people were instructed and “educated” not to gamble any more, but in the cases of 459 people, their offenses were considered serious enough to merit court proceedings.

Chhay reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to cracking down on illegal gambling operations across the board and follows a government-wide effort to uproot the practice from the country. Prime Minister Hun Sen vowed to clean his country from illegal gambling back in September 2022 and has directed the police to do his bidding.

This commitment enabled the country to get off the Financial Action Task Force list, which features countries with dubious AML laws and a proliferation of illicit practices which is bad for foreign investors. Gambling in Cambodia has also been linked to human trafficking and kidnappings, putting the country in an even worse light with international partners.

Getting the Results That Matter

The prime minister enacted his will by replacing local and district governors in order to signal to the rest that he values progress against illegal gambling very highly. “I would like to inform you that it is no longer possible to tolerate anarchic situations in the casino. We must be strict,” Hun Sen told at the time he launched his war on the illicit gambling sector.

Cambodia has been under pressure from China, an important trade and economic partner, to rein in the gambling industry. This led to the government’s decision to stop issuing new licenses for online gambling operations in 2019.

The news of the latest crackdown is the first big news coming out of the country vis-à-vis illegal gambling in recent months which demonstrates the success Cambodia has had in tackling the larger issue. Regardless, the number of arrests indicates that there is a vibrant scene built around illicit gambling.

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New legislation in Indiana is aiming to ease the burden of caring for the evidence of illegal animal fighting rings in Indiana, covering expenses for caretakers while the cases wind down through the legal system.

Matching Bond to Costs

Indiana Senate Bill 423 seeks to expand the scope of “reasonable expenses” of bonds set by courts for the animals impounded during busts of illegal animal gambling rings by explicitly stating medical care, quarantine, shelter and food as costs covered by the bond.

The forthcoming legal changes are expected to facilitate the cooperation of gambling regulators with the different groups involved in the process of raiding an illegal animal gambling ring. Animal fights fall within the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC)’s oversight of every activity involving wagers.

And while such fights are illegal, they are not uncommon: over the past seven years, the IGC worked on 50 animal fighting cases, with illegal gambling rings being busted in Hendricks, Owen, Morgan, Montgomery, Wells and other counties, leading to about 2,000 birds and 20 dogs being seized.

According to IGC’s General Counsel, Dennis Mullen, the undercover Gaming Control Unit investigates, substantiates and works with Indiana’s Board of Animal Health, local police departments or sheriff’s offices, and local prosecutors while planning every sting.

“We’ll run down every tip — and it’s a really coordinated effort,” Mullen said, quoted by Indiana Capital Chronicle, explaining that due to the bond not covering the real costs on several occasions, organizations working with the regulator such as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) ended up footing the bill.

Euthanasia Requirements Eased

Besides better matching the bond to costs, Senate Bill 423 also eases requirements for euthanasia which, according to regulators, are too limiting and present risks to other animals and humans at the moment.

The current law which specifies timelines during which animals cannot be put down and allows euthanasia only for animals suffering from extreme pain is seen as very limiting, and the amendments brought by the bill will provide an additional level of discretion.

The bill allows euthanasia at any time in cases where an animal is found to present a serious threat to other animals or people by a licensed veterinarian, or if euthanasia is seen as in the animal’s “best interest.”

The new bill will also provide civil immunity to the private professionals that make those decisions, without exonerating them from adhering to ethical standards under veterinary practice legislation and regulation.

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