SEC Becomes First Conference to Mandate Sports Betting Training

In the wake of the Texas Tech player, Brendan Sorsby’s controversy, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has become the first to announce that it will now make it compulsory for student-athletes to take sports betting-related training, which will focus on responsible gambling and problem gambling.

College Students Need to Be Educated Better on Gambling Risks

Sorsby grabbed headlines earlier in May after it transpired that he had been steadily gambling on various games, including college games he partook in, something that he described as “being closer to the game.” 

There was little evidence that Sorsby was attempting to turn any insider knowledge into wins. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA over a barring from play, Sorsby’s lawyer said that the association sought to punish him for his addiction – a recognized mental health issue – rather than engage and help him get better.

Now, however, SEC is trying to stay ahead of events by obligating student-athletes to finish a sports gambling education course before they can partake in the 2026/2027 season. 

SEC Says Student-Athletes Need to Comply with New Policy to Play

This, the conference hopes, will help mitigate the risks associated with student-athletes’ gambling and possibly undermine the integrity of the sport. In a statement, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said:

“The rise in sports gambling, including some recent well-documented incidents among college and professional athletics, as well as developments around prediction markets, makes this a high-priority initiative for the Southeastern Conference.” 

College sports have come under heavy scrutiny, as vulnerable athletes could be tempted into placing bets themselves and more often end up being targeted by criminal enterprises who try to convince them to break game etiquette by underperforming to secure proposition bets placed with legal and offshore gambling platforms in exchange for a payment.