I'm shocked, shocked to find that sports betting is going on in here!

PointsBet USA, a sportsbook, ended its marketing partnership with University of Maryland athletics Tuesday.

That was a mere 18 months after their marriage was consummated, when Maryland Executive Associate Athletic Director Brian Ullmann said the following:

“We are looking forward to raising awareness and educating our student-athlete and University community about responsible gambling. Maryland Athletics continues to lead boldly with the first deal of its kind in the Big Ten Conference and in the region.”

This is how things are trending now. PointsBet had a similar deal with the University of Colorado, and now it doesn’t.

In late March, the American Gaming Association adopted a code to disallow partnerships between colleges and sports-betting companies. Heat is on Michigan State University to get out of its multiyear, nearly $9 million deal with Caesars Sportsbook.

In January, Elite Casino Resorts (with casinos in Riverside, Davenport and Larchwood) made a $500,000 commitment to become the “exclusive casino gaming partner” of the Swarm Collective. That’s the nonprofit charitable foundation created to support University of Iowa athletes with NIL cash.

“Working with Iowa student athletes will boost the charitable events we host” said Riverside Casino and Resort General Manager Damon John. “Our guests love the Hawkeyes.”

Hawkeye coaches and their teams’ fans love the Swarm, especially its heaviest hitters. NIL funding quickly became a huge competition in itself. Get that money for the players to be as competitive in the arena as possible. Give those transfer portal entrants and blue-chip preps reasons to give you a serious look.

Iowa announced 26 of its current athletes are being investigated for betting on sports in violation of NCAA rules. The UI received information about 111 individuals, the majority being student-staff, former student-athletes, or those with no connection to UI athletics. Iowa State said “approximately” 15 of its student-athletes are being investigated.

Iowa’s 26 are spread across baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, and men’s wrestling, as well as a full-time athletics department employee who isn’t a head coach.

So these aren’t giddy times on Elliott Drive or Evashevski Drive in Iowa City.

Brian Ohorilko, administrator for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, told multiple news outlets there is no evidence any games were compromised. So the story as we know it to date hasn’t reached epic-scandal status.

You could wonder how serious college athletes are really supposed to take the “no betting” restriction when it’s all right for everyone else of legal age to do it. Especially if a gambling conglomerate is giving you straight cash.

However, the ones being investigated knew they were explicitly banned from sports betting by the NCAA. Part of the deal college athletes, coaches and athletic administrators make is that they don’t wager on sports. A wrestler can’t bet $10 on a Portuguese soccer match, and that’s that.

If there’s more to this story than just college athletes making sports wagers, we’ll address it once it comes to light. And no, this isn’t small potatoes for the individuals involved, and it certainly isn’t for Iowa State and Iowa.

But if it turns out to just be college athletes betting on games they couldn’t possibly influence, you may want to save your outrage for the countless issues worthy of it.

If you think gambling of any sort is riding on the devil’s knee, you’re in a distinct minority. In 2023, and well before it, it has cut across everywhere. Riverside Casino and Golf Resort has had a sponsorship with Hawkeye Sports Properties for many years, though not with anything that directly promotes sports marketing.

Dr. Michael Richards, the president of Iowa’s Board of Regents, is a co-founder and former vice chairman of Wild Rose Entertainment that operates three casinos in the state. His campaign donations have been accepted and welcomed by many a politician in this state.

Anyway, if you’re a college pole vaulter or placekicker plunking a sawbuck on Wednesday night’s Lakers-Warriors game, I don’t want to know. Don’t care, either.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com