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Introduction
One of the prevailing policy concerns within the realm of intercollegiate athletics pertains
to gambling. The gambling industry is experiencing significant growth on a global scale, as
multinational corporations enter new markets with the objective of attracting a fresh clientele. In
the past decade, there has been a substantial surge in the number of sports betting cases due to
the proliferation of online wagering platforms, media attention, and sensationalism (Hums &
MacLean, 2018). Student athletes experience a range of gambling-related challenges that have
detrimental effects on their overall health and mental state. Prominent governing bodies and
administrators have expeditiously implemented policies that strictly prohibit any association
between collegiate athletics and wagering. College athletic governing bodies, including the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics (NAIA), have a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of sporting wagering because they
recognize that gambling compromises the ethics and values of intercollegiate athletics. However,
both parties face difficulties in enforcing the regulations.
How Does Gambling Affect Student Athletes?
The majority of the time, individuals engage in responsible and lawful gambling when
they wager on the result of a sporting event. Nevertheless, a minority of young individuals are
susceptible to wagering rapid escalation that becomes unmanageable, causing detrimental effects
on their mental and physical health. Having that be compulsive, problematic, and excessive
wagering engenders adverse repercussions, including aberrant social conduct, diminished
academic achievement, criminal and legal complications, and diminished athletic performance.
In contrast to their non-athletic counterparts, student athletes exhibit a higher propensity for
gambling due to their active participation and fervor for sports. The proliferation of online
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betting platforms and youth-oriented advertising has significantly increased the accessibility of
sports wagering. The impact of advertisements on wagering behavior is significant, as evidenced
by the fact that 58% of on-campus students who recall seeing such advertisements are more
inclined to engage in betting (NCAA.org, 2023). The aforementioned findings suggest that the
intrinsic value of athletic competitions is not sufficiently recognized throughout the NCAA
divisions. Student athletes' appreciation for sports competitions is proportional to the quantity of
money wagered on the outcome of a competition when gambling is involved.
Student athletes constitute a susceptible demographic within the broader college student
body in terms of participation in high-risk activities. Gender disparities in gambling participation
rates are evident, as males consistently exhibit higher rates of engagement in all forms of
gambling compared to women. In comparison to other athletes, student-athletes participating in
major team sports such as basketball and football appeared to be considerably more likely to
engage in high-risk behaviors, gamble more frequently, wager more money, and develop
wagering problems (Welcome | Global Sport Institute, n.d.). It is crucial to acknowledge,
nevertheless, that the percentage of male student-athletes who met the criteria for pathological
wagering or were at risk for the disorder decreased from 2004 to 2016, albeit in a relatively
stable fashion. The NCAA has additionally endeavored to safeguard the welfare of student-
athletes and uphold the integrity of competition by educating more than 10,000 student-athletes
about sports gambling damage prevention.
Policies on Intercollegiate Athletics Gambling
Gambling, whether conducted lawfully or unlawfully, is vehemently opposed by the
NCAA. The participation of student athletes and personnel from athletic departments in any type
of gambling is strictly prohibited by the NCAA's zero tolerance policy (NCAA, n.d.). In order to
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safeguard the integrity of athletic competitions, both intercollegiate and professional sports
wagering is strictly prohibited by the policy. Additionally, it is explicitly stated that individuals
participating in collegiate sports are prohibited from knowingly disclosing information regarding
sporting events to those engaged in organized wagering, soliciting bets, accepting bets, or
otherwise participating in gambling activities.
In the same way that it considers sports betting to be immoral and against the values of
collegiate athletics, the NAIA has a strict policy of zero tolerance towards all forms of sports
wagering. NAIA regulations prohibit the dissemination of information regarding intercollegiate,
amateur, or professional athletic competitions to individuals who are interested in or affiliated
with any type of sports gambling activity, as well as participation in such activities. Student-
athletes whose conduct violates the zero-tolerance policies of the NCAA and NAIA risk having
their athletic eligibility revoked, a consequence that undoubtedly has profound repercussions for
both the athletes and their respective teams.
Challenges Facing Governing Bodies Enforcing Regulations on Gambling
Despite the prohibition of for-profit sports gambling by NCAA and NAIA regulations, at
least one instance of this behavior was documented on a monthly basis among 26% and 8% of
male and female collegiate athletes, respectively. While the majority of student-athlete sports
betting occurs among peers, an increasing number of such activities are now taking place on
readily accessible websites that can be accessed through smartphones, tablets, or computers.
Social media and other technological advancements have increased the amount of contact
between student athletes and outsiders. The advancement of technology has enabled external
individuals to inquire with student athletes about college competitions, thereby undermining the
integrity of such events.
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Numerous states legalized sports betting in January 2023, including Ohio. This
legalization, nevertheless, was not extended to collegiate athletic departments. It was a regulation
that individuals affiliated with the athletic department, including collegiate athletes, staff
members, and coaches, were not permitted to place bets on NCAA-level competitions (Athletic
Department Enforcing NCAA Sports Gambling Rules, n.d.). While drug and substance abuse,
sexual assault, and malfeasance garner greater attention from stakeholders, gambling problems
are typically not identified in the same manner. Student-athletes and athletics stakeholders have
failed to recognize to the same extent that wagering problems are comparable to addictive
behaviors. Additionally, some team instructors disregard the zero-tolerance policy regarding
gambling among student-athletes and permit it. Because some instructors and student athletes
failed to intervene and assist addicted gamblers, student athletes who engage in such conduct
lack the authority necessary to abstain from it.
Biblical Integration
The matter concerning wagering in collegiate athletics is pertinent to the doctrines
outlined in 1 Timothy 6:9-10. The verse states, "However, those who yearn for wealth succumb
to temptation and become entangled in a multitude of foolish and detrimental desires that lead
them astray and to ruin." For a passion for money is the source of every evil in the world. Certain
individuals, driven by a desire for wealth, have strayed from the authentic faith and inflicted
numerous afflictions upon themselves (1 Timothy 6:9-10). This verse issues a cautionary
message regarding the detrimental effects, worldly nature, and destructive potential of wagering.
In this verse, Paul delineated three concerns pertaining to money: the allure of wealth, the
deceitful nature of wealth, and the detrimental impact of wealth. Individuals who are enticed by
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the pursuit of wealth are subsequently duped into complacency and ignorance of peril;
consequently, they are eroded by the devastation that wealth engenders.
In contrast, student-athletes who engage in gambling do so with the intention of amassing
wealth, a pursuit that 1 Timothy 6:9–10 warns against as worldly, addictive, and detrimental.
There are numerous accounts of pathological gamblers who, due to significant financial losses or
debts to friends or family, contemplate suicide or risk their lives. As a result, wagering should be
avoided, and athletic department personnel or student-athletes who are dependent on it should
seek assistance immediately. The NCAA and NAIA should, in addition to enforcing the zero-
tolerance policy, organize educational campaigns to instruct athletic department personnel and
student athletes on the proper utilization of technology. These organizations ought to allocate
greater focus towards wagering as a problematic behavior, similar to other addictive practices.
Ultimately, it is imperative to oversee the online activities and behaviors of student athletes so as
to assist them in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the wagering challenge. Gambling
has the potential to transform into an unanticipatedly destructive force, as individuals' desires
may intensify, and their souls become sterner. Consequently, due to the fact that wagering is
considered a sin, individuals should redirect their desire for it towards more constructive pursuits
such as engaging in regular physical activity, reading, practicing yoga, spending time in nature,
and similar activities.
Conclusion
In brief, sports wagering has the potential to undermine the integrity and principles of
athletic competitions, as well as have adverse consequences for the well-being of collegiate
athletes and the personnel employed by athletic departments. The NCAA and NAIA have both
adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding all forms of sports wagering. However, the
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enforcement of these regulations continues to be a formidable task due to advancements in
technology, insufficient awareness of the gambling problem, and the complexity of identifying
problem gamblers among college students. Gambling is a sin, according to 1 Timothy 6:9-10,
because it promotes both avarice and destruction. The NCAA and NAIA can both enhance their
endeavors to educate student-athletes and athletic department personnel on the proper utilization
of technology, allocate sufficient attention to the issue of wagering, and ensure that they possess
a comprehensive understanding of the problem.
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References
Athletic department enforcing NCAA sports gambling rules. (n.d.). Sports and Society Initiative.
https://sportsandsociety.osu.edu/news/athletic-department-enforcing-ncaa-sports-
gambling-rules
Hums, M. A., & MacLean, J. C. (2018). Governance and Policy in Sport Organizations.
Routledge.
NCAA.org. (2023, May 24). NCAA releases sports wagering survey data. NCAA.org.
https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/5/24/media-center-ncaa-releases-sports-wagering-
survey-data.aspx
Welcome | Global Sport Institute. (n.d.). https://globalsport.asu.edu/
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