March Madness is arguably the biggest sports betting event in North America. Some will say it's the Super Bowl, but the AGA expects gamblers to wager $3.1 billion at legal sports books on March Madness; compare that to the $1.39 billion wagered on the NFL's big game and it's clear which one is a bigger deal.
The three-week tournament draws a lot of attention but not always in a positive way. With all that money being spent on the tournament there are worries about how that will impact the integrity of the game. Those calls can't be ignored based on some of the stories coming out of the NCAA lately.
Recent Sports Gambling Issues In College Ball
Perhaps the first example of a recent sports betting scandal involving NCAA basketball is the investigation into suspicious bets on Temple University and former player Hysier Miller, who has yet to be charged with anything. Authorities were alerted to suspicious bets on that game, which saw a six-point swing on the spread in the lead-up to the game.
That night Miller, who was averaging nearly 16 points a night, only managed eight. It was only the sixth time that season he picked up fewer than 10 points. His nine attempts from the field and 0 free throws were Miller's lowest-shooting night of the season. Miller and his attorney have stated he's done no wrong and have been fully compliant with the league, even sitting through a five-hour interview.
A game between Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan has sent authorities into an investigative wormhole. When a bettor placed their largest wager yet on Central Michigan to cover the first-half spread, investigators not only flagged the activity but found that there may have been a link between this account and others who placed suspicious bets on first-half spreads.
The latest NCAA basketball scandal involves Fresno State, where a few players bet on their games. Players allegedly bet on their team underperforming on points and rebounds. Fresno had its worst record to date going 6-26 for a pathetic 0.188 win percentage; the nest-worst record in Bulldog history was a 7-20 season in 1976-77.
It's Not All Bad News
Look, hearing about that many scandals might sound like sports is heading towards a pandemic level of betting cheats, but let me talk you out of that dramatic take.
The International Betting Integrity Association tracks suspicious betting alerts around the world. In 2024, 219 reports came across their desk, and of those 219 reports only 19 (8%) originated in North America, and only eight reports centered around basketball (4%). Tennis had just as many suspicious betting alerts in North America last year.
The NCAA is committed to reducing that relatively low number of suspicious betting alerts. Not only are they taking each suspicious betting report seriously but they're also pushing for a federal sports betting framework that would ban prop betting on collegiate sports nationally.
They've also seen success from an education program that teaches student-athletes about the dangers of gambling. In 2024, data showed that only 21.5% of male student-athletes wager on sports, down (slightly) from 23.5% in 2004.
It might not sound like anything is being done to reduce the number of sports gambling scandals based on the number of infractions lately, but the NCAA is hard at work to minimize these instances.
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