NCAA to Monitor March Madness for Unusual Betting Activity

• The NCAA and Indiana Gaming Commission will both monitor March Madness for unusual betting activity
• The 2021 NCAA Tournament will be the first NCAA championship event to be held in a state with legal sports betting
• This year’s event is expected to set records for betting interest

The 2021 NCAA Tournament is expected to set all sorts of records with regard to betting interest. The nationwide appetite for March Madness is expected to be massive, especially after last year’s event was canceled. That combined with the continued expansion of legal sports betting around the United States should make this year’s tourney quite popular with bettors.

This year’s tournament is also unique in that it will take place in a state with legalized sports betting for the first time. As a result of the pandemic, the NCAA has decided to stage the entirety of its tournament within the state of Indiana. Indiana is one of the 20-plus states in the US with a fully operational sports betting industry of its own.

Earlier this week, the American Gaming Association estimated that about 47 million Americans will bet on the men’s tournament this year alone. The tournament officially gets underway on Thursday with four games on the schedule.

In the wake of the SCOTUS decision in Murphy v. NCAA allowing states to legalize sports betting, I’ve proposed a desperately-needed federal framework to protect integrity of the games we love, as well as the fans and consumers & individuals placing bets.https://t.co/JnvUfZgS1m

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 29, 2018

The NCAA and gaming regulators in Indiana have both said that they plan to be vigilant when it comes to wagering action. Both entities have said they will be monitoring betting activity as a precaution against unusual action. The NCAA and the Indiana Gaming Commission will be working with separate third-party entities in order to look for potential irregularities that could compromise the integrity of the games. The IGC has the authority to cancel all bets on a game if unusual patterns are detected.

NCAA Watching Closely

In a statement, an NCAA spokesperson told ESPN,

“The NCAA and its members are evolving as the sports wagering continues to change. We are continuing to expand our efforts across these important areas to ensure we are protecting the integrity of competition and the well-being of student-athletes. Sports wagering education remains a priority of the NCAA’s efforts with the goal of providing a variety of materials to support the membership’s educational initiatives.”

Unlike most leagues around the country, the NCAA is still firmly opposed to legalized sports betting. The majority of major pro sports leagues have flipped the script on legal betting over the past few years. The NBA, NFL, NHL, and Major League Baseball have all struck their own sponsorship deals with various betting operators around the country. The NCAA, which has fought hard against sports betting legalization over the years, has remained steadfast in its opposition to legalization efforts.

While Indiana doesn’t yet rank among the most profitable states with legalized sports betting, the industry is still growing. About $127 million was wagered on all forms of basketball in the Hoosier State in February. That number is expected to grow significantly thanks to March Madness, while the NBA regular season will continue to attract plenty of interest over the next several months.

While the NCAA is opposed to legalized sports betting, the organization has altered its stance with regard to holding championship events in states with legalized industries. They really had no choice in the matter, of course. With more and more states voting in favor of legalizing sports betting, the list of states without operational industries is dwindling rapidly.

Some Fear Players Could Be Vulnerable

Jenny Reske, the deputy director for the Indiana Gaming Commission, told ESPN,

“Our highest priority is assuring the integrity of these activities. I understand this is the first tournament played in a state with legal sports betting, but I think we’ve contemplated all the scenarios, looked at best practices, and we’re prepared to properly regulate the activity.”

There are some fears that players, coaches, or other NCAA operatives could get involved in a point-shaving operation. Because student-athletes don’t get paid to play, some worry that the players themselves are the most susceptible to getting involved in a gambling-related scheme. Within the last half-century, Auburn, Boston College, and Tulane are among the basketball programs that have been involved in point-shaving scandals.

NCAA rules prohibit players, coaches, referees, and anyone else with ties to athletic programs from placing bets on college games of any kind. Many sportsbooks also have lower betting limits on college athletics as a result of the lower volume those sports attract in the first place. NCAA Tournament games attract far more interest than your run-of-the-mill college basketball games, however.

The expansion of the American betting market has also increased national interest in wagering on college basketball. Some of the largest college basketball bets of all-time have been placed at various sportsbooks around the US already this season. March Madness certainly won’t temper the enthusiasm, especially with record-setting numbers expected.

Matthew Holt, the president of US Integrity, which helps regulators and leagues with regard to betting integrity, told ESPN,

“These sportsbooks are in a big land grab across the country, and they don’t want to be the ones rejecting these giant bets right now, so they take them. It’s very concerning to me. Anytime you incentivize people to do something wrong, they’re going to try it. In this case, if they know the opportunity is out there to get down a million-plus-dollars, there are going to be more people likely to take chances. Betting limits have always been one of the things that have helped keep some sports safe.”