Could the days of online sports betting being permitted on Tennessee college campuses be numbered? Sen. Jeff Yarbro and Rep. John Ray Clemmons filed companion bills that could make it a reality.
This new legislation comes on the heels of the college basketball betting scandal in which more than two dozen individuals were indicted for allegedly fixing NCAA Division I and Chinese Basketball Association games. The point-shaving scheme impacted 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball programs.
House Bill 1768 and Senate Bill 1831 would “restrict access to interactive sports wagering on campuses of public institutions of higher education.”
Placing bets at land-based sportsbooks is not an option in the Volunteer State. The only way to place legal sports bets is via one of the licensed sports betting apps.
The process could become much more challenging for college students attending institutions like the University of Tennessee, Belmont University, or Middle Tennessee State.
The bills define a campus as “the geographical boundaries of an institution of higher education’s primary contiguous campus property, including the entirety of any parcel of non-contiguous property or satellite facility of the institution within one (1) mile of any boundary of the institution’s primary contiguous campus property that is used for student residential or communal purposes, but excluding those used solely for classrooms, maintenance, administrative purposes, or storage.”
If a college sporting event takes place at an off-campus venue, placing wagers from that facility would be banned as well. The bill includes the wording “a licensee shall prohibit such access at the sports venue for the entire calendar day on which such sport or sporting event is conducted.”
Last year, it looked like the NCAA was going to change its rules regarding sports betting. A proposed rule change, which was approved by Division I, II, and III institutions, would have allowed student-athletes to legally bet on pro sports. However, just as it was about to be lifted, the NCAA rescinded the rule change.
Besides SEC Commissioner George Sankey being very vocal about how it was a bad idea, NCAA President Charlie Baker received a letter from Congress regarding concerns it had regarding the ban being lifted. It also didn’t help that the NCAA was busy investigating sports betting violations against 13 former student-athletes. All of the cases resulted in permanent bans.
While Tennessee lawmakers are busy trying to ban mobile sports betting on college campuses, NCAA leadership is committed to eliminating college prop bets. The Volunteer State happens to be one of the jurisdictions where college football and basketball prop bets are not permitted.
After the news of the college basketball betting scandal broke, Baker contacted state gambling commissions reiterating the NCAA’s stance surrounding the elimination of player prop bets. The idea of banning first-half over/under bets was mentioned as well.
So far there are 13 jurisdictions where sports betting is legal that do not permit college prop bets. Other states like New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois have bans on in-state teams.
