NCAA Reverses Pro-Sports Betting Rule Change, Keeps Full Gambling Ban Intact

The NCAA won’t allow student-athletes and athletic department staff to place wagers on professional sports, after two-thirds of Division I member schools voted during a 30-day rescission period to overturn a recently approved rule change.

The decision arrives amid the NCAA’s recent bans of 10 former players across multiple programs for their involvement in betting-related game manipulation. Also, there’s been a string of high-profile gambling scandals surrounding professional sports recently.

Integrity Cases Create Pressure on Schools

The NCAA needed 241 votes from member schools to rescind the rule, with a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Friday, November 21. Reports on Thursday suggested that the number of programs against the new rule was under 200. However, a final push led to enough schools opposing to pass the threshold.

The decision comes amid a wave of gambling integrity cases across the NCAA. Just hours before the vote deadline, the association announced it had permanently banned former Temple University basketball player Hysier Miller.

Investigators determined that Miller placed parlay bets on 39 Temple games, including against his own team. The NCAA also sanctioned two former Temple staff members.

Earlier in November, the association permanently banned six former basketball players from three schools–the University of New Orleans (UNO), Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), and Arizona State University (ASU).

The November actions followed a September enforcement case. Then three other men’s basketball players received bans for placing prop bets.

These incidents have likely added pressure on schools to keep the status quo regarding gambling policies, rather than loosening them. Opponents argue that allowing athletes and staff members to wager legally, even only on pro sports, could complicate oversight. It will also increase the risk of inadvertent violations.

Debate Over Modernization Continues

Not everyone agrees with the decision. The rescission does not end with the question of whether the NCAA should modernize its sports-wagering rules to reflect the realities of legal betting across most U.S. states.

In an opinion article, CasinoBeats Deputy Editor Kris Johnson argues that the NCAA should not abandon its effort to differentiate between prohibited collegiate wagering and legal adult betting on professional sports. Johnson claims that clear, regulated participation could help reduce illicit activity and strengthen education.

Advocates of reform argue that athletes—many of whom are legal adults living in states with regulated sportsbooks—should not be held to a stricter standard than that applied to the general public. Meanwhile, opponents argue that maintaining strict boundaries is crucial for protecting game integrity and athletes from the pressures of gambling.

A majority of Division I schools ultimately sided with the latter view. This suggests a widespread perception that the potential downsides of incremental legalization outweigh its benefits.

A Signal of Institutional Caution

Despite the NCAA’s willingness to revisit its gambling policies, the reversal underscores that member programs remain cautious. The association’s ban will remain fully intact, covering betting on professional and collegiate sports. That’s regardless of whether the state in which the school is located has legalized sports betting.

As legal sports betting continues to expand nationwide, compliance teams and regulators will face growing challenges balancing cultural normalization with strict institutional rules.

The NCAA’s latest decision indicates that any future policy changes will necessitate a significantly broader consensus than the one achieved in October.