ACC Trying To Get A Handle On Regulatory Sports Betting

• The ACC is trying to get rules and regulations in place going into the 2021 football season as sports betting has more of a presence throughout the nation than ever.
• The NCAA has already come up with rules and regulations for sports gaming as it pertains to their players and personnel.
• The main issue that the ACC is having with regulated sportsbooks and betting on their games is how to keep the integrity of the games from being altered.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – As states across the nation continue to regulate sports betting industries, the ACC is trying to figure out what all of this will mean for their programs and the effects it may have on their games.

Not all states allow for collegiate sports gaming and some only allow it for schools that are not within their state lines, while there are others that have betting lines open for all college sporting events.

“We’re all trying to get a hold of this thing before it spins too fast,” said Jim Phillips, the athletic director for Northwestern. “I don’t know that I’ve moved off of that stance considerably since a few years ago, but what I would say is, it’s going to take a more concerted effort by all of us to try to get to the right place as it relates to sports wagering.”

Phillips was never huge on the idea of gambling on college sports.

What’s There To Figure Out?

Regulated sports betting is sweeping the United States. After the eight states that have regulated markets this year implement their industries, it will mean that 29 states and Washington, D.C. all have open sports gaming industries.

There are also three others states still in session, discussing a regulatory market that could lead to 32 states in the near future; leaving only 18 states without sports gaming at that point.

But when it comes to collegiate sports betting, many lawmakers and others surrounding the industry take issue with how the young minds of college students are easily susceptible to mental anguish over the pressures of having people bet on their games. That coupled with keeping the integrity of the matchups intact if a player were to be offered money to throw a game on purpose.

Both college basketball and college football betting are the largest draws for sportsbooks regarding college events.

The NCAA has already decided to come up with a list of rules and regulations for their players to look out for and follow when it comes to playing their games now that regulated sports betting has become part of the package in more states than not.

“Recognize, resist and report,” said Andy Cunningham, the head of the Integrity Department at Sportradar.

That’s basically the slogan for college student-athletes to abide by for sports gaming.

“From my experience, serious instances would be very few and far between across sport in the U.S.,” said Cunningham. “But the risk is there.”

There is also a rule that has been placed by the NCAA that no player or anyone affiliated with the NCAA is able to wager on their sporting events.

The Final Word

All personnel and student-athletes will be educated on how sports betting works, what they need to look out for, and the rules and regulations set forth that need to be followed in order for them to continue playing college sports without issue.

The ACC is wrapping their minds around this now as college football is near and that is the biggest time of year for gamblers and both retail and mobile sportsbooks.

The ACC just wants to ensure that all goes smoothly and everyone involved is aware of how to properly go about playing now that regulated sports betting is more popular and in more markets than ever before.

News tags: ACC | Andy Cunningham | College Basketball | College Football | Jim Phillips | NCAA | Northwestern | Sportradar