Gambling On College Sports Under Microscope At MGCB Panel

As part of its continued commitment to protect college students, the Michigan Gaming Control Board recently played host to an industry expert-led discussion panel.

The seminar, which ran June 3 at Cadillac Place in Detroit, focused on college sports betting regulations and compliance measures.

Speakers dove into the nuances of governing collegiate sports, while also emphasizing the immeasurable value of ensuring integrity within the industry.

It marked the MGCB’s first official move on colleg\iate sports betting since the board told PlayMichigan in March that it is exploring whether to ban or further limit prop bets.

Monday’s panel proved plenty valuable for the MGCB and its ongoing evaluation.

“The Michigan Gaming Control Board is dedicated to fostering a transparent and compliant gaming environment, particularly in the realm of college sports betting,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said in a press release.

“By hosting this panel discussion and engaging with NCAA Division I collegiate officials involved with overseeing compliance, talking about ways in which we might be able to work together to prevent student-athletes from illegally gambling, we aim to uphold the highest standards of integrity and responsibility.”

Panel messaging centered around protection of student-athletes

Protecting student-athletes stood out as the point of emphasis throughout the discussion.

According to the MGCB, panelists shared insight into industry intricacies, including rules, regulations, and compliance measures.

This specifically involved conversations designed to both improve understanding and ensure adherence to established guidelines.

As alluded to above, calls for action against collegiate player prop bets reached a boiling point earlier this year. Back in May, NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement pleading that lawmakers ban college prop betting in states where it is legal.

At this time, Michigan, along with Kansas, Louisiana, Washington D.C., and Wyoming are the only states that do not have restrictions on college prop betting.

While there are other states that allow prop betting, they do so with certain restrictions.

One speaker also shared his story with PlayMichigan in March

The all-star roster of speakers featured five gambling and regulatory experts:

Dave Murley, Deputy Director of Online Gaming & Legal Affairs, MGCB
Mark Hicks, Managing Director of Enforcement, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Richard Taylor, Director of Responsible Gaming, BetMGM
Dan Trolaro, Co-Managing Director of Education and Training Services, IC360
Patrick Walter, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Detroit Office

One speaker, in particular, Dan Trolaro pined for the inclusion of gambling-related discourse in school curriculums.

“Athletes are risk takers and are conditioned to know if they practice, they can get better, but the problem is that’s not how gambling works,” said Trolaro.

“Current K-12 educational curriculums include discussions about drugs, alcohol, and stranger danger but not about gambling, risk taking, and decision-making. We need to create curriculum about gambling so that we can empower our student-athletes and equip them with the tools they need to succeed in life after college.”

Trolaro spoke in detail about his personal battle with gambling addiction with PlayMichigan earlier this year.

The harrowing tale, which saw Trolaro spend 4 1/2 years in prison, now serves as the backbone of his campaign to further educate student-athletes across the United States about the perils of risk-taking and problem gambling.