A very common problem today is collegiate sports gambling.
The US government recently deemed all websites that offered online gambling to
be illegal. Any website with a .com that was used for gambling has been shut
down. This includes poker sites, online sportsbook, and online casinos.
Gambling is legal in Oregon and Nevada. Gambling on collegiate or amateur
sports is permitted only in Nevada, where it is estimated that
$2.5 billion is annually wagered on college sports, $197 million of
which is attributed to bets surrounding the NCAA’s Division I men’s basketball tournament.
Sportsbook.com was a very popular site that offered it all. Instead of shutting
down and foregoing their opportunity to continue to make billions of dollars,
they have redirected their website to sportsbook.ag which means the website is
primarily used from Antigua and Barbuda. This does not stop the American
consumers, because the website is just as accessible. In fact, if you type in the web address
sportsbook.com it immediately redirects you to sportsbook.ag. Many bank
institutions in the US have restricted debit card transactions purchased
outside the US. Many of the banks now require you to inform them that you will
be traveling out of the country in order for the transaction to be approved.
The
NCAA has a multi-tiered, federated governance structure with more than 125
committees, both association-wide and division-specific. Committees are
responsible for addressing a variety of issues ranging from eligibility
requirements, drug-testing policies and procedures, recruiting rules and other
competitive health and safety rules including a firm stance against sports
gambling (also referred to as sports wagering or gaming). This definition
includes the free NCAA March Madness bracket that Yahoo!, ESPN, and CBS Sports
offer. All collegiate athletes and staff are forbidden to participate in the
annual March Madness challenge. There have been a number of gambling scandals
at colleges around the US since 1945.
Brooklyn College (1945)
New York City Sports Wagering (1951)
University of Kentucky (1952)
The 1961 Scandals
Boston College (1978)
Tulane University (1985)
Universities of Florida and Arkansas (1989)
Maine (1992)
Northwestern University (1994–1998)
University of Maryland (1995)
Boston College (1996)
Arizona State University (1997)
University of Florida (2001)
Florida State University (2003)
Ohio University (2007)
University of Toledo (2007)
New York City Sports Wagering (1951)
University of Kentucky (1952)
The 1961 Scandals
Boston College (1978)
Tulane University (1985)
Universities of Florida and Arkansas (1989)
Maine (1992)
Northwestern University (1994–1998)
University of Maryland (1995)
Boston College (1996)
Arizona State University (1997)
University of Florida (2001)
Florida State University (2003)
Ohio University (2007)
University of Toledo (2007)
The full-text of this article can be found, HERE.
As an avid poker player, but not a gambler on sports, it annoys me to no end that online poker sites are no longer legal in the United States (unless you dig hard, you can find some). It makes little sense to me that not only are responsible players restricted from playing the game they enjoy but that these sites can't make money on that who are doing it the honest way.
ReplyDeleteI understand sites like Full Tilt poker are facing litigation, but for the sites doing it the wrong way, and the consumers who enjoy the game, this is the wrong solution.
I like to play poker too, and did dabble on some of these gambling web sites. The fact that I can no longer do so is a bit of a bummer. But I know of online gamblers who were actually pretty good at it, have moved to Antigua to continue their money making ways. As far as myself, I will just have to continue playing in home games or going to the local casino.
ReplyDeleteNow as a gambler of sports, I have tried my hand at that and failed. But I do know plenty of people that do gamble on all sports possible. Either by making regular trips to Vegas or through a local bookie. The later seems to do very well in the Stillwater area. I do have to admit playing in a March Madness bracket every year at work.
The NCAA players I see at Karsten on a daily basis, I know there are certain restrictions that keep them from participating in our little bets in March. They usually play in their own bracket for bragging rights only of course.
Well I think the restriction of gambling on sports is to keep the sport pure. We don't want another Pete Rose situation where athletes bet against themselves because its more profitable. Fans want to be able to cheer for their team, and know that the players left it all on the line to win. In relation to college sports, I think the regulations are there to keep it at the amateur level, much like how the Olympics used to be. Personally I prefer college athletics for that reason, people playing the sport for the love of the sport.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hard to say a lot of professional athletes don't play for the love of the sport. I think if college kids could get paid to play, like I'm sure most believe they should, they'd still do it and it would be the same thing.
DeleteI think most professional athletes still love the game, or else they could easily just retire after their first contract and be set for life (if they were wise with money). When it comes to gambling in sports, obviously it should be prohibited, but leagues (cough NBA cough) will do anything to try and cross the line to make more money, which is more of a problem with the culture of it than necessarily the athletes.