Iowa State has launched investigations that have led to criminal charges against seven past and present athletes. Among them, the most famous are former Hawkeyes basketball player Aron Ulis and Cyclones guard Hunter Dekkers.
They are all charged with falsifying records related to a criminal investigation into sports gambling in the state of Iowa. These athletes also faced loss of gambling eligibility due to violation of NCAA rules. Ulis, Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen, and Iowa kicker Aaron Blom were charged, according to Johnson County online court records.
As for Dekkers, he was charged in Story County, along with ISU football player Dodge Souther, ISU wrestler Paniro Johnson, and former football player Eyoma Uwazurike, who was drafted by Denver in 2022. He was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for betting on Broncos games during his rookie season.
What violations are we talking about?
Ulis, who transferred to Nebraska after playing 27 games for the Hawkeyes last season, is accused of online betting through a FanDuel Sportsbook account registered in his brother’s name.
Christensen, who appeared in 11 baseball games for the Hawkeyes last season, allegedly used his phone to place 559 bets totaling $2,400 at DraftKings Sportsbook from November to February. According to the complaint, 23 of them were related to sporting events in Iowa. Here’s another interesting fact: the DraftKings account was registered in his mother’s name.
But Blom, who played just two games as a forward the previous season, maintained a DraftKings account in his mother’s name. From January 2021 to February 2022, he made approximately 170 sports bets via mobile or Internet, totaling more than $4,400. Surprisingly, about eight people took part in Iowa sporting events.
What steps are being taken to prevent violations?
After several student-athletes faced possible NCAA eligibility issues in May due to sports betting, Iowa State University has been proactive in resolving the issue with the affected athletes. Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said the process is a time-consuming resolution process, and the school will not discuss the status of any athletes at this time.
Athletic officials at the University of Iowa have emphasized that they actively educate student-athletes, coaches, and staff about NCAA rules and local gambling laws. They also emphasized the importance of understanding and following these rules in the future. Moreover, more and more sites like twinspinca.com are appearing on the Internet, which advertise no-deposit free spins and other bonuses and encourage people to participate in gambling and sports betting.
Experts predict that gambling scandals will continue to arise in college sports due to the increasing popularity of betting in various states, especially after the Supreme Court decision five years ago. The issue received enormous media attention earlier this year when Alabama baseball coach Brian Bohannon and two members of the Cincinnati team were fired amid gambling investigations.
The NCAA recently increased penalties for athletes found to be involved in gambling. Now, the penalties are more severe, especially for those who bet on their own games, tried to influence the outcome of their games, participated in betting on other sports within their school or provide information to anyone associated with sports betting.
