Ohio lawmakers have introduced bills to legalize sports betting. But Ohio’s universities don’t want to be dealt in on those bills or any others that involve expanded gambling.
Bruce Johnson, president of the Inter-University Council of Ohio, says that leaders of state universities want college sports excluded from sports betting.
“People who run athletics departments across the state feel very strongly that student athletes don’t need to be confronted with additional challenge of having gambling right down the street on their athletic events," Johnson says.
Johnson says the NCAA has strong rules preventing gambling on games by students and coaches. Because it can be tempting, he says legalized betting could increase the cost of compliance for colleges.
