As the ramifications of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Betting Act (PASPA) continues to be felt, and will be for quite some time, it is perhaps quite understandable that that not all parties across the country is fully supportive of the sports betting liberalisation.
May’s landmark decision to strike down the ban preventing a roll-out of sports betting provisions across US states, has been long debated, with Ohio State athletic director and vice president Gene Smith the latest to speak out.
Despite acknowledging that he is not supportive of legalised college sports betting, a belief that a calm approach, and crucially no overreactions, is the best way to move forward.
Speaking to US media outlets, Smith is quoted as stating “we are where we are and we have to deal with it,” adding: “It concerns me. It concerns me from the point of view of the athlete — making sure we protect people. My biggest concern is educating, educating, educating, and then putting in firewalls to protect them.
“We know gambling exists now, we’re not naive. But as it becomes more transparent and prevalent, our kids are going to be more susceptible to people trying to influence them to do things. How do we protect them from making a bad decision?”
One idea being widely discussed is the possibility of an injury reporting system, making it known who is and who isn’t available in advance of a game, with it believed that this could aid integrity issues should bettors be aware of such issues in advance of making a wager.
Opposition does come from various stakeholders though, pointing to the advantage garnered for opposition sides if they know the specific personnel that they’re preparing for.