IRGC find no evidence of sports integrity loss in Iowa
In lieu of the collegiate sporting scandal being proliferated across Iowa, the state’s Racing and Gambling Commission (IRGC) has stated that there is no evidence of game outcomes being meaningfully affected by gambling stakeholders or their activities.
This news has caused a converse opinion amongst the industry as several athletes have been charged with placing bets on games involving their own schools.
The sports betting scandal
7 current and former athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were criminally charged earlier this week after allegedly placing bets in the state. Most notably this included Cyclones’ quarterback Hunter Dekkers.
All 7 of these athletes bet on games involving their own schools and it is even alleged that 4 bet on their own team.
Dekkers himself is accused of betting on an Iowa State football match in 2021 when he was serving as the team’s backup quarterback.
Iowa backup kicker Aaron Blom is also alleged to have bet the under on Iowa vs. Iowa State football game in the same year.
The pair have since been found to have hidden their identities on their DraftKings account by using their parents’ information. It is significant to note that neither played a single minute of the games in question.
The IRGC’s findings
In light of this, the IRGC has conducted a review of the wagers placed on the games in question, eventually confirming that it was unable to find any information that would even suggest these wagers affected the outcomes or integrity of the matches that were bet on.
The commission reviewed how wagering lines moved, the number of wagers, the size of wagers along with the settlements of these in turn.
Coordination with several organisations was also undertaken with entities that monitor the integrity of contests, sportsbooks and gambling markets in other states.
Ramifications and repercussions
Several former athletes include Iowa basketball player, Ahron Ulis, Iowa State football player Dodge Sauser, Iowa State wrestler Paniro Johnson and former Iowa baseball player Eyioma Uwazurike.
In total the former and current athletes placed over 5,000 bets amounting to more than $100,000. They are all subject to a tampering charge, which is classified as an aggravated misdemeanour in the state of Iowa. This could also result in loss of NCAA eligibility as an additional penalisation.
A verdict is yet to be reached, however, such a review from the IRGC will undoubtedly have a profound effect on the result.
SiGMA Balkans/CIS
As a globally recognised nexus for networking, SiGMA Group sets its sights next to the Balkans this September, when the SIGMA Balkans/CIS Summit heads to Limassol Cyprus.
A host of networking opportunities and industry-leading knowledge will be emanating from the much-anticipated event which will pack panel discussions, keynote speeches, start-up pitches and much more into 3 days in the diverse Cypriot city.
