There are plenty of highly critical anti-gambling organizations who claim that gambling corrupts local and state governments, guts local economies, and preys upon the weak and poor. Gambling has led some to divorce and despair causing bankruptcies and even murder and suicide. As far as sports gambling is concerned, there is always the possibility of corrupting the athletes, umpires and other officials.

While a professional athlete who is well paid would have a lot to lose (just ask Pete Rose) making the pros less vulnerable, the student athlete is much more vulnerable and you have to wonder about the officials sometimes. There are studies that show college athletes have bet with bookmakers with significant amounts of money on the line. More than 5% of male athletes in one survey admitted to betting on a game in which they participated. They have admitted providing information for gambling purposes and some even took money to try to fix games by playing poorly. This has been documented and people have gone to jail. Obviously this is not good and shouldn’t be tolerated. Obviously one big reason not to illegally sports gamble is the threat of going to jail, or at the very least, getting arrested and having to pay lawyers and court costs.

They know of a young middleclass girl who bet modestly through a bookie, mostly on football. Well guess what. In the bigger investigation to crack the bookies’ gambling ring, they tapped her phone lines, questioned her life style and arrested her when she bet on behalf of other people over the phone line. She never went to jail but still was made to feel like a criminal and cost her money.