Gambling - Sports Betting
- Aug 21, 2006 - comment
“Illegal gambling is sports’ worst nightmare, particularly at the college level. Last summer, two former bookies and compulsive gamblers explained to NCAA officials how college students are often targeted by bookies because college kids almost always pay, and rarely bet enough per game to hurt the bookie. That makes it easy to get them ‘hooked’ because a small win is big money in the pocket of most college kids, while a small loss doesn’t seem too big when considered individually.
“The problem is that, when you make a bet with a bookie, you usually don’t put down your money before the game is played. In fact, bookies don’t mind if you can’t pay right away, because it becomes easier to keep betting on ‘credit’ in order to win enough to perhaps never have to pay at all.
“Unfortunately, the more you lose, the more likely you are to end up in a major jam. If you’re a player or coach or even if you just have a close relationship to one, you become vulnerable. Maybe it’s just for inside information; maybe, if you owe enough, it’s to affect the final score in some way.
“Does it really happen that way? Last year, the NCAA Sports Wagering Task Force heard a report that said nearly 35 percent of NCAA male student-athletes engage in some type of gambling — 1.1 percent of football players reported taking money in exchange for playing poorly in a game; 2.3 percent of football players admitted they had been asked to affect the outcome of a game because of gambling debts; and 1.4 percent of football players admitted having affected the outcome of a game because of gambling debts.”
Excerpted from Ray Melick, “‘Harmless’ Gambling Is a Real Threat,” Birmingham News (Alabama), February 14, 2006
“[Arnie] Wexler is a recovering compulsive gambler and the former executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. He runs his own business and is one of the loudest anti-gambling voices in the country.
“For more than a decade, he has been saying that professional and college sports have a growing gambling problem that is ready to ignite. The match may have been lit by Rick Tocchet, a former NHL player and current assistant coach who has been accused by New Jersey authorities of financing an illegal sports betting ring.
“It’s unclear how deep this gambling scandal will reach. Janet Jones, wife of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, has been implicated. Other names have been spread and Gretzky’s possible involvement is a source of fascination.
“With his name tied to the scandal, Gretzky has already joined a Murderer’s Row of athletes touched by gambling. Pete Rose has been banned by baseball since 1989, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended by the NFL for the 1963 season, Michael Jordan is well-known for spending time at blackjack tables, and NHL stars Jaromir Jagr and Jeremy Roenick have been in the news for their gambling habits.
“Even Alex Rodriguez, who has one of the most carefully crafted images in sports, was caught attending underground poker games in New York.
“‘What’s the lure? It’s the pressure of the game [of chance],’ former All-Pro linebacker Hugh Green said. ‘It’s the idea of taking a chance. Your heart rate speeds, your palms sweat. For some it’s almost like a substitute [for playing].’
“So away from the field, ice or court, gambling provides a fix for the athlete. Chris Armentano, director of Problem Gambling Treatment Services for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, says high-level athletes may possess an ideal mix of personality traits that could lead them to gaming.
“‘The competitiveness is certainly part of it,’ Armentano said. ‘And guys who are drawn to athletics have a lot of extra energy and they’re looking to focus it someplace . . . It’s hard for any celebrity who’s got a lot of cash, got a lot of free time, to keep their feet on the ground’ . . . ‘One of the factors is that people who play sports, because of their involvement, think they’ll have a better chance at picking winners because they think they know something about the game,’ Armentano said. ‘Sports are their lives.’
“The gambling could start when an athlete is in college or in the minor leagues. The most common way to pass time on a bus ride is a game of cards.
“The stakes aren’t high for minor leaguers or college kids, but the competitive juices flow.”
Excerpted from Paul Doyle, “They’re Stuck on the Juice; With Near-Limitless Fortitude and Funds, Pros Find Gambling an Irresistible Rush,” Hartford Current (Connecticut), February 12, 2006
Further Learning
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