NCAA takes a stand against sports betting profits

The NCAA, the governing body for college sports in the United States, has stated that it will not be looking to get a cut from sports betting revenue.

The NCAA has taken the stand because it is publicly against sports betting.

Certainly, the industry has not been all good news for the NCAA in the past with proven or alleged point-shaving scandals rocking college basketball.

NCAA sports have amateur status in the United States. The athletes that participate are not paid a salary or fee, even when their sports command national exposure, huge crowds and generate big profits. However, many of the athletes (although not all) are receiving scholarships for academic endeavours.

The amateur status of NCAA sports may be related to the organisation’s position on sports betting. With unpaid athletes — the huge majority of which will not play professionally — the temptation may be higher for them to drift toward point-shaving or tanking.

That the NCAA will not be looking for a cut of the sports betting revenue does not mean punters won’t be able to bet on college sports. In fact, online sports books have offered betting lines on college sports for decades.