The Iowa sports betting scandal involving multiple student-athletes at state universities has prompted regulators to strengthen rules surrounding underage wagering and account sharing.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on Thursday posted a notice of intended action that IA sports betting operators must display “account sharing is prohibited” and “persons under the age of 21 are prohibiting from wagering.”
The rule amendments are subject to a public comment and hearing period, with an Oct. 10 deadline.
Iowa sports betting rule change
The exact rule amendments read as follows:
Advance deposit sports wagering operators shall prominently display the following information on any interface that accepts wagers:
Account sharing is prohibited. Each account holder must not share usernames or passwords with other people. Each wager made on an account shall be made by only the registered account holder, and shall not be made on behalf of any other individual.
Persons under the age of 21 are prohibited from wagering. No person shall attempt to circumvent account setup procedures designed to prohibit wagering from individuals under the age of 21. Registered account holders shall not attempt to assist in the placement of a wager by any individual under the age of 21.
Any other disclosures, as required by the administrator.
IA sports betting probe at a glance
The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation has charged several student-athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University with tampering in its ongoing sports betting probe.
Some of those student-athletes wagered under sportsbook accounts that were in their parents’ names. Others placed multiple bets while not of legal age.
LSR has reached out to the IRGC for comment and is awaiting response.
Players face charges due to betting
Iowa released a statement Tuesday noting 11 student-athletes will have their NCAA eligibility affected as part of the probe.
Iowa State starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers received a tampering charge for wagering on his own games while he was still the backup. Cyclones defensive tackle Isaiah Lee, who left the team, allegedly wagered on the University of Texas to beat Iowa State in 2021.
The players could face up to two years in prison, as well as permanent college ineligibility, for their alleged misdemeanors.
