January 15, 2025 3 min read

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NCAA Survey Finds Sports Betting Habits Shift with Education

New research analyzed the participation of student-athletes in betting activities in 2024, comparing the results to a previous study from 2016

The nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics across the United States, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), released details regarding a new study that probed the gambling behaviors of more than 20,000 student-athletes.

Men’s Betting Marks a Dip, Women’s Participation Is on Par

Details regarding the study, which is the fifth in the Association’s history since 2004, highlighted the importance of education in changing sports betting behaviors, the impact of the statewide expansion of wagering and compared trends regarding the involvement of athletes in the activity.

Before the 2024 study, the last time the NCAA released such a survey was back in 2016, ahead of the expansion of sports betting which dated to 2018. Surprisingly, while 38 states offered legal sports betting by the end of 2024, only 22% of NCAA men reported placing legal or illegal wagers on sports at least once in the last 12 months.

This marked a decrease compared to the 2016 survey result which showed that 24% of student-athletes on men’s teams admitted to violating the Association’s laws related to gambling by placing a wager on sports one or more times. The Association added: “This slight drop in the percentage of men placing any bet that violated NCAA bylaws was observed in each of the three NCAA divisions.”

On the other hand, the recent survey also explored the impact of sports wagering on NCAA athletes part of women’s teams. The result from 2024 was flat when compared to 2016, considering that approximately 5% of the student-athletes part of women’s teams admitted to placing a wager on sports at least once in the past 12 months.

Gambling Harm Prevention and Education Remain Key Objectives for NCAA

While men’s betting activities marked a slight decrease when compared to the study from 2016, the study uncovered that there was an increase in the number of NCAA athletes being asked for inside information. Per the new research, this increase is tied to the expansion of sports betting across the country.

On the bright side, the study found that the percentage of Division I student-athletes who admitted to providing inside information knowingly in 2024 is lower when compared to 2004 when the surveys began. This positive change was likely the result of campus educational efforts, the NCAA study showed.

Dr. Deena Casiero, NCAA’s chief medical officer, spoke about the importance of harm reduction strategies that can effectively prevent and decrease the risks of problem gambling. “We remain committed to research-backed methods of promoting healthy behaviors to support our student-athletes and to reduce the stigma associated with problem gambling,” she added.

We need to continue to focus on education and additional harm prevention techniques in this space.

Charlie Baker, president of the NCAA

Charlie Baker, NCAA’s president, added that the Association needs to retain its focus on education, as well as gambling harm prevention. He added that it is frequent for students to be exposed to gambling activities while still in high school. According to Baker, some of those students may be impacted by at-risk or problem betting by the time they graduate college. Thus, he reiterated the NCAA’s focus to help student-athletes combat problematic behaviors.

Amid analyzing breaches related to its betting rules, the NCAA modernized its penalties for such breaches back in 2023. Ultimately, the Association hoped to reduce the stigma related to gambling and help athletes that required support, instead of enforcing tough penalties such as loss of eligibility.

Journalist

Jerome brings a wealth of journalistic experience within the iGaming sector. His interest in the industry began after graduating from college, where he regularly participated in local poker tournaments. This exposure led him to the growing popularity of online poker and casino rooms. Jerome now channels all the knowledge he's accrued to fuel his passion for journalism, providing our team with the latest scoops online.

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