Four More Iowa Athletes Plead Guilty to Underage Gambling

Four former University of Iowa athletes have pleaded guilty to underage gambling. The players had falsified information to create betting accounts and place wagers on sports.

The athletes in question are the football players Arland Bruce IV, Reggie Bracy and Jack Johnson and the basketball player Ahron Ulis. Following the guilty pleas of Hunter Dekkers and other players, the four finalized their guilty plea deals.

Bruce, Bracy, Johnson and Ulis admitted to creating FanDuel and DraftKings accounts using the credentials of family members. Doing so allowed them to conceal their identities as collegiate players and helped them avoid the age restriction for legal gambling.  

The players would then proceed to place wagers on football and basketball, including some games in which they played.

As a result, the four players received fines of $645. This is notably the same fine Hunter Dekkers and the other players previously accused of underage gambling had to pay.

In addition to having to pay a fine, Bruce, Bracy, Johnson and Ulis are subject to NCAA penalties, which usually include temporary suspensions.

Bruce, Bracy and Ulis eventually transferred to other schools. Ulis is currently on the Nebraska Cornhuskers’ rosters, showing that he has avoided serious trouble with the NCAA. However, athletes should keep in mind that serious violations may cause them to be banned from competing.

Other Players Also Pleaded Guilty of Underage Gambling

As mentioned, more of the players involved in the Iowa scandal pleaded guilty earlier this month. This included Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers, Cyclones offensive lineman Jacob Remsburg, Iowa kicker Aaron Blom, ISU football player Dodge Sauser and Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen.

At first, legal experts claimed that the young men involved in the underage gambling case were guilty of tampering with records. This serious charge could have led to severe consequences for the players, had they not pleaded guilty to underage gambling. This could have included serving up to two years in jail because of the alleged tampering with records.

However, other attorneys called the allegations ludicrous, claiming that the tampering with records allegations is an unnecessary effort to “drag the kids’ names through the mud.” Aaron Blom’s legal representative, Franz Becker, for example, noted that the state shouldn’t act surprised when young sports professionals are interested in wagering on sports.