Public Perceptions About Gambling in College Sports - Negative Effects
Gambling on college sports is on the rise, largely as a result of the rise of Internet books and the anonymity and accessibility they allow to people who usually would not have the opportunity to wager on the outcome of college matches. Every major online bookmaker includes lines on college sports events, from season games to big tournaments like the March Madness college basketball tournament. Several organizations, such as the National Collegiate Athlete Association and Congress, have long been concerned about the negative effects of gambling in college sports. They cite the undermining of the integrity of the game, which is especially evident when a player gets caught influencing the outcome of the game because of betting, as happened frequently during the ‘90s and ‘80s. If gambling on college sports is so bad, though, then why is it on the rise? Here are some looks at public perception on college sport gambling.
It damages the game. Many people will state that there are still true fans out there, ones that want to see their school team win. These people are the ones most likely to become disenchanted with the game when scandals are uncovered; after all, who want to cheer for a team whose star player is willing to take money to shave points? On the other side of the coin, some people point out that wagering increases the popularity of the sports, which can only be for the good.
It’s easier than Big League gambling. Those who do enjoy placing wagers on college sports point out that the odds are much more favorable than those on major league sports. Money lines are tighter and spreads are much more achievable.
Does anyone really care? The fact is that despite public campaigns that educate people on the negative effects of gambling in college sports, neither Congress nor the NCAA have done much over the past decades to prevent or punish gambling. When scandals have been uncovered, more often than not the student athletes involved have gotten away with slaps on the wrist. While there have been some suspensions, they are usually short term and the players are allowed to return to the team. In one noticeable case in the 1980s, a player who was known to have shaved points for profit was drafted into the NBA and had a lucrative career. While sentences like those meted out to Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn (10 years in prison) are definitely excessive, it would seem that at the very least the athletes involved should be barred from the sport. The fact that punishment is light indicates to the public that the issue is not as serious as the regulating bodies would have us believe.
So people from both sides of the fence are apt to make their own judgments on the issue of college sports gambling. While the sides opposed are stringent in their claims that there are too many negative effects of gambling in college sports, those in charge must demonstrate that they are serious by punishing guilty offenders more severely if they expect the public to take the claims seriously.
