News broke Sept. 30 that former baseball great Pete Rose died at age 83. The next day, ESPN’s “SportsCenter” was host to a discussion of Rose’s legacy, including his lifetime ban from baseball for wagering on the sport. The segment was sponsored by DraftKings.
Such is the push/pull of modern sports. The industry accepts advertising dollars from sportsbooks but at the same time bans its athletes from participating.
It’s no different in college athletics, where many of the participants are young males, the dominant demographic of those who participate in retail and mobile sports wagering.
A 2023 NCAA survey of school compliance directors found that 27% had dealt with a sports wagering problem among athletes and staff within the past year.
