Responsible Gaming Campaign Industry

Responsible Gaming Campaign Launched by NCAA

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 06 April 2024

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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It has recently been revealed that during the frenzied betting activity of March Madness, the NCAA launched a new initiative that is aimed at promoting responsible gaming. Due to concerns relating to heavily wagered on basketball games, the NCAA has unveiled its ‘Draw the Line’ campaign, which is designed to educate students about the potential risks associated with sports betting.

The campaign made its debut on social media platforms recently to coincide with the start of the March Madness tournaments. The campaign is specifically designed to target college students. It includes a comprehensive toolkit intended for use by universities and colleges, offering resources to support those who may be struggling with gambling-related issues.

Heavy Betting from College Students

Recent projections were released by the American Gaming Association, which claimed that legal bets on the 2024 March Madness tournament would likely surpass $2.7 billion. The association said that a large portion of these wagers would originate from college students.

A study conducted by the NCAA last year revealed that a staggering 67 percent of people aged 18 to 22 who were living on college campuses had engaged in sports betting activities, whether through legal means or illegal channels.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has expressed his support for legal and regulated sports betting. However, he has emphasized the importance of implementing robust measures to safeguard student-athletes from potential harm. In particular, Baker has advocated for prohibiting oddsmakers from offering proposition bets, which involve wagering on specific aspects of an individual player’s performance. He said:

We know some bettors are harassing student-athletes, so that’s why we are advocating for policy changes at the state level and launching monitoring tools around championships to refer serious threats to law enforcement.

He added that the NCAA was doing as much as possible to protect the integrity of the game as well as to provide student-athletes with the facts when it came to sports betting. This is one of the key reasons the association has launched the scheme.

Being Proactive About Responsible Betting

The new campaign is said to be a proactive step by the NCAA to address the growth of sports betting among college students. By providing educational resources and raising awareness about responsible gaming practices, the initiative aims to empower students to make informed decisions regarding their participation in sports betting.

In recent years, the expansion of legal sports betting across the United States has created new opportunities and challenges for collegiate sports organizations. While officials know that sports betting is appealing to many, they are also aware of the potential risks, especially to younger people who are more at risk of developing gambling problems.

Through the introduction of initiatives like this one, the NCAA is eager to show that it is committed to promoting a culture of responsible gaming within the college community. By engaging and providing support and resources for those in need of help, the organization hopes that it can reduce the risk of negative effects associated with excessive or irresponsible gambling behavior.