The NCAA approved a rule change allowing athletes and athletic department staff to wager on professional sports from 1 November. Division II and III management councils approved the measure two weeks after the Division I cabinet; the ban on betting on college sports remains, the NCAA said.
The change permits professional-sports betting by college athletes while leaving the college-sports betting ban in place.
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The NCAA Division I Administrative Committee approved a proposal allowing college athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports. The change still requires approval from Division II and III committees and would take effect on 1 November if all divisions agree; betting on college sports would remain prohibited.
The NCAA approved a rule allowing student-athletes and athletics department staff to bet on professional sports from 1 November, according to the report. The change retains the ban on wagering on college sports and sharing inside information, and does not alter restrictions on gambling advertising or sponsorships during NCAA championships.
The NCAA Division I Board delayed the effective date of a rule change that would allow athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports, moving it from 1 November to 22 November. The delay gives member schools until the close of a rescission period to vote against the proposal; existing prohibitions on betting on college sports and sharing related information remain in place.
Reportedly, a bipartisan bill would penalise college athletic departments that knowingly admit athletes who have gambled on college sports. Representatives Adrian Smith and Brendan Boyle introduced the Fair Play Enforcement Act, which also addresses colleges rostering former professional athletes.
The NCAA said Division I member schools voted to rescind a proposed rule change that would have allowed student-athletes and associated personnel to bet legally on professional sports. About two-thirds voted against the change, leaving the existing prohibition in place.