Since the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting, a number of states have rushed to pass legislation that would legalize the practice — which in turn is causing sports entities to respond.
Most professional leagues have seemed amenable to the changes, but the NCAA has been somewhat skittish on sports betting and has held long-standing policies aimed at deterring betting on college sports. However, some of those stances may be softening.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that NCAA officials spoke on a panel at the International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking, which was held at Caesars Palace. There, the NCAA officials expressed their concerns on sports betting, but also indicated the organization could consider some policy changes.
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Earlier this month, the NCAA lifted a ban on hosting championship events in states with legalized sports betting — which according to NCAA deputy general counsel Naima Stevenson Starks was “an untenable position.” She also indicated that the body may reconsider whether to allow college athletes to bet on professional sports, whether to accept sponsorship agreements from companies that promote sports betting, and whether to host events at venues with in-house sports betting.
Stevenson Starks said that although the NCAA has concerns about gamblers getting inside information about injuries and rosters, the body would be unlikely to establish eligibility reports for each game. She cited federal laws surrounding student privacy that would make such reports difficult to mandate.
