Story perspectives

NCAA Approves Betting for Student-Athletes Amid Controversy

11/26/2025

Center

NCAA Approves Sports Betting

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) plans to allow student-athletes to bet on professional sports starting November 22 after pausing for legislative discussions.
College athletes will be prohibited from sharing insider information or betting on college games.
Experts advocate the SAFE Bet Act to regulate college betting and advertising.
Recent Major League Baseball (MLB) scandals illustrate the risks of an unregulated gambling environment, prompting U.S. Senate scrutiny of misconduct.

Left

Isaac Rose-Berman Analyzes Gambling Impact

The 2018 Supreme Court ruling transformed sports betting into a multibillion-dollar industry.
The expansion has exacerbated gambling addiction, especially among young men.
The episode traces how a subtle policy change enabled the industry to target America's vulnerable.
Isaac Rose-Berman, Gambling Research and Policy Fellow, discusses these issues and their societal impacts.
A diverse team at Al Jazeera produced the episode.

History

Historical Context

The 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association declared the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act unconstitutional, allowing states to regulate sports betting. This decision led to a surge in legal sports gambling, with New Jersey generating over $400 million in revenue by 2021. Ongoing concerns about gambling's impact on youth have prompted legislative responses like the SAFE Bet Act.

1 of 3

NCAA Approves Sports Betting

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) plans to allow student-athletes to bet on professional sports starting November 22 after pausing for legislative discussions.
College athletes will be prohibited from sharing insider information or betting on college games.
Experts advocate the SAFE Bet Act to regulate college betting and advertising.
Recent Major League Baseball (MLB) scandals illustrate the risks of an unregulated gambling environment, prompting U.S. Senate scrutiny of misconduct.

1 / 3