Iowa and Iowa State pressed criminal charges against seven current or former athletes for the involvement in illegal gambling activities. The charges follow an investigation of the Iowa Criminal Division into sports gambling that revealed the respective offenses. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), ex-Hawkeyes basketball player Ahron Ulis and Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers committed the most serious offenses of all the accused athletes while the currently active athletes are also facing penalties for violating the NCAA gambling rules.
Charges Filed, Athletes Plead Not Guilty:
Criminal charges have reportedly also been filed against Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen, Iowa kicker Aaron Blom, ISU football player Dodge Sauser, ISU wrestler Paniro Johnson, and former football player Eyioma Uwazurike, who was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in 2022 for placing illegal wagers.
As reported, the Iowa Department of Public Safety stated on August 2, 2023 that the investigation is still in progress and that it might impose additional charges. At the same time, the attorneys representing Dekkers and Sauser reportedly said that these athletes would plead not guilty.
Highest-Profiled Bettors:
Hunter Dekkers and Ahron Ulis have the highest illegal betting profiles. AP reports that Dekkers is accused of placing 366 online wagers amounting to more than $2,799 to include a 2021 football game with Oklahoma State. As reported, he was a backup in the game that Iowa State won. His contribution to the Cyclones this season as the starting quarterback is now compromised, according to the source.
At the same time, Ulis is reportedly accused of placing online bets under the name of his brother as he was below the gambling age of 21 legal in Iowa. As reported by AP, he used his phone to make around 1,850 wagers amounting to more than $34,800 over the period from February 2021 to December 2022 on more than 430 NCAA basketball and football events.
Different Wagering Accounts Used:
Other athletes wagered lower amounts but still violated the law prohibiting former and current athletes to wager on sporting events. Christensen reportedly had an account on his mother’s name and placed 559 wagers from last November to February 2023. The total wagered amount of $2,400 included 23 bets placed on Iowa games. Blom reportedly followed the same pattern to place around 170 underage bets amounting to $4,400.
Also, Sauser placed about 113 wagers totaling $3,075 in the same manner as Blom and Christensen, according to the AP, over the period from April to October 2022. As an ISU football player, he did not play in his team’s 12 games that he wagered on. Paniro Johnson, the 2023 Big 12 wrestling champion, also faked the account details to place 1,283 wagers amounting to $45,640.
NCAA Eligibility Issues:
As the AP reports, Iowa and Iowa State revealed in May 2023 that they were working with the competent state authorities to detect illegal online gambling at their premises. At the time, they reportedly identified 26 athletes who might have violated NCAA regulations and about 15 athletes who might have been violating gambling rules.
Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard reportedly said: “Since becoming aware of potential NCAA eligibility issues related to sports wagering by several of our student-athletes in May, Iowa State University has been actively working to address these issues with the involved student-athletes. This process is ongoing and will take time before being completely resolved.”
Pollard added: “Iowa State Athletics educates its student-athletes, coaches and staff on NCAA rules and State of Iowa law surrounding sports wagering and will continue to emphasize the importance of understanding and adhering to these regulations moving forward.”