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Can you smell it? The return of college football? They certainly can in Athens, Georgia — the home of the Georgia Bulldogs. In most of the state, it’s the Bulldogs that are the most favorite team. Not the Falcons. Not the Hawks. Not the Braves.
As of late, local fans have had a lot to cheer about. Georgia won back-to-back national championships, and if popular offshore sportsbooks are right, they’re top favorites again this year.
But… underneath the excitement, there’s some nervousness for the Georgia football staff. Not necessarily about the team’s performance (though that exists too), but about possible betting infractions. That’s not to say it’s happening, but more for the potential of it going down. Again.
Yes, again cause the athletic department has a history with the newfound issue. Keep reading, and we’ll explain the issue, which could be a ticking time bomb.
Georgia Has Had Issues With Sports Betting
Just a year ago, Georgia was at the center of a sports betting controversy. Here’s what went down: a former Georgia football staffer broke NCAA rules by betting on professional sports. The individual, who has never publicly outed, placed the bets back in August 2020. But the violation wasn’t discovered until 2023, when Georgia’s compliance team reviewed and processed the case. The staffer was dismissed from the program.
The incident was classified as a Level III NCAA violation — the lowest tier, typically reserved for minor infractions — and was included in the school’s quarterly compliance report at the time. But… it could have been so much worse. You see, the bets didn’t involve Georgia games or even college sports. It was still an issue because the NCAA bans sports betting of any kind.
The blanket ban on any and all sports betting is not-so-intuitive. Surely, players, coaches, and staffers understand you shouldn’t bet on Georgia or related teams (e.g. Bama or Ole Miss). But knowing that NFL or NBA is off limits? That’d be less obvious, hence the risk.
But get this, even fantasy sports betting is a no-no. In 2022, Georgia also caught a student athlete placing a bet on a top sports betting app for fantasy. That was also earmarked as Level III which is considered isolated or limited in nature.
“We’ve had issues with that in the past, too,” Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said in May 2023. “It’s more prevalent. I can’t turn the TV on now without seeing something. There’s a lot of debate out there about what’s right and what’s wrong, but the NCAA rule is pretty harsh for gambling relative to some other things. It’s pretty obvious why. They don’t want that infiltrating teams.”
Sports Betting Scandals On The Rise Countrywide
Georgia’s past two incidents with sports betting are relatively minor. But that doesn’t mean the threat of a bigger scandal breaking out isn’t there. It’s in the back of the mind of the entire sports betting industry really.
The two most famous betting scandals come from pro sports. One involves Shohei Ohtani, the baseball golden boy. His translator was siphoning millions of dollars from his account (secretly) and betting them recklessly (losing). The translator was busted when the illegal bookie he was using was caught himself.
Then there’s the NBA, which has been hit with the gambling bug the most. Jontay Porter was banned for life when it was uncovered he was passing information to external bettors at the very least. But at most, he was fixing his performance to help prop bettors. That story is still ongoing, but it’s the kind of issue other leagues and teams fear the most.
College sports have had minor scandals, but nothing like Ohtani or Porter. However, it’s believed collegiate athletics are most at risk since there are more players and games to fix, plus young athletes are more susceptible to outside influence. NIL pays them money now, sure, but the power of outside money could be enough to sway them to throw outcomes.
Georgia’s Sports Betting Irony
Back to Georgia now. Here’s the great irony in this whole dilemma: Georgia sports betting isn’t even legal.
Georgia lawmakers have tried and failed to pass legislation year after year, often getting tripped up by political infighting or debates over how the tax money would be spent. Meanwhile, neighboring states like Tennessee and North Carolina are pulling in tens of millions in revenue from legal sports betting.
And yet, betting issues are still happening inside Georgia’s athletic programs. Whether it’s fantasy lineups or offshore bets, staff and athletes have ways to get involved — even without a legal sportsbook in state lines. That’s the irony. Georgia gets none of the tax benefits of legal sports gambling but all of the risk.
So now, as the Bulldogs chase another national title, the university compliance department is stuck playing defense off the field. Betting infractions have happened before. They could happen again. And until Georgia legalizes and regulates the space, they’ll be fighting an uphill battle against a game they refuse to officially join.
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