criminal investigative division
AP Photo/Jane Kalinowsky
Patrons watch television as they wait in the Caesars Palace Sports Book for the 2006 Men’s College Basketball Tournament bidding sheets in Las Vegas, Nev. The explosion of gambling, both legal and illegal, centering on sports has given added emphasis to the FBI’s Sports Presentation Program.
outcome of a game, had shared information, or knew of a teammate who had shared information, or had done something or knew a teammate who had done something to affect the outcome of a game. “That served as a wake-up call that we needed to do something and that’s when you saw the beginning of an intense barrage of materials from our office and the FBI presentations beefed up. The biggest reasons the students gave for engaging in such activities was for fun or excitement, although money also was high on the list. We took that information and tried to make our students understand that this activity is not just an NCAA infraction but an illegal
activity. And that is where the FBI has been extremely effective, telling of individual cases where they have arrested individuals.” At the time the study was released, NCAA President Myles Brand termed the scope of sports wagering among intercollegiate student-athletes “startling and disturbing.” The report found that 69 percent of male and 47 percent of female student-athletes had participated in some form of gambling in the previous year, 35 percent of males and 10 percent of females had wagered on sporting events – a direct violation of NCAA bylaws – and 20 percent of male and 5 percent of female student-athletes on collegiate sports.
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