Lawmakers zero in on sports gambling regulation as scandals boom 

Congress appears poised to intensify its scrutiny of major sports leagues and their gambling partners in response to a growing number of scandals involving illicit wagering that have rocked college programs and professional teams in recent months.  

An explosive scandal that hinged on point shaving and leaked injury information in the NBA last fall resulted in federal charges against a number of current and former players.  

Major League Baseball recently suspended a pair of pitchers charged with throwing balls and strikes at certain times to benefit gamblers. 

And the NCAA says it is investigating a handful of athletes at smaller college basketball programs who reportedly took bribes to benefit bettors as well as a top quarterback who checked himself into rehab for gambling addiction earlier this year who is believed to have wagered on a former team while with the school. 

The growing prevalence of gambling culture in sports, and the booming business of legal sports wagering in the U.S. is sparking concern from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle that the leagues and sportsbooks are not doing enough to protect game integrity and athlete safety. 

“Fans shouldn’t have to wonder if their favorite player missed a buzzer-beater or dropped a touchdown pass because of a secret bet,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate Commerce and Technology Committee.  “Unfortunately, recent episodes have planted that seed of doubt and raised questions about whether changes are necessary to integrity in sports.” 

Cruz’s committee is slated to hold a hearing on Wednesday as part of its effort to examine what it calls the “rapid expansion of sports betting in the United States and its growing impact on the integrity of games.” 

“As traditional online betting platforms and new entrants like prediction markets continue to intersect with sports, we need a clear understanding of how these platforms operate and what they mean for the integrity of the game,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Texas), another Republican on the panel. 

Experts and observers told The Hill in recent days it is likely Congress could soon propose stricter federal regulation on sports wagering and integrity monitoring.  

Such a move would threaten the bottom lines of major leagues, online gambling platforms and media companies who have embedded wagering into their telecasts and marketing strategies.  

Sports betting culture is especially pervasive on college campuses, some critics of the current sports media ecosystem say, making NCAA athletes potentially more susceptible to corruption and prohibited gambling activity. 

These people point to the recent case of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan........

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