PBS Evening News recently focused on issues associated with university-sportsbook partnerships. The feature was based on the research described by Ross O’Keefe at the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, University of Maryland.

You can read O’Keefe’s article here. Excerpts from the article:

“Purdue University prohibits betting on Purdue sports. Stony Brook University in New York advises students not to gamble for money or other valuables on university property or in university facilities except as part of an authorized fundraising activity, essentially banning on-campus wagering.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, wrote a letter to Caesars CEO Tom Reeg criticizing Caesars’ advertising on college campuses. “I call on you to end this disgraceful practice to protect students and prevent the irreparable harm caused by Caesars’ marketing practices and college partnerships.” 

Tom McMillen, a former Maryland congressman who played basketball at the University of Maryland and in the NBA, said there is a “100% probability” that a major sports betting scandal will occur one day. There’s already evidence that, despite an NCAA prohibition, college athletes bet on sports. A 2017 study showed that 24% of NCAA male athletes bet on sports, and 13% reported in-game betting, a type of bet that is more susceptible to what the NCAA calls “spot-fixing,” in which a particular play, not the entire game, is fixed to satisfy betting odds.”

The PBS video follows.