Sports gambling continues to be at the forefront of the sports world.
Armando Bacot, a standout basketball player for the University of North Carolina, found himself inundated with over 100 direct messages from disgruntled fans after his team’s NCAA Tournament victory over Michigan State, prompting him to share his thoughts on the impact of sports betting.
Expressing his frustration with the negative attention from bettors, Bacot remarked to reporters on Wednesday, as reported by the Tar Heel Tribune:
“It’s terrible,” Bacot told reporters on Wednesday about sports betting, per the Tar Hill Tribune. “Even at the last game, I guess I didn’t get enough rebounds or something. I thought I played pretty good last game, but I looked at my DMs, and I got, like, over 100 messages from people telling me I sucked and stuff like that because I didn’t get enough rebounds.”
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As the Tar Heels geared up to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Bacot acknowledged the complexities of the situation. “I think it’s definitely a little out of hand. But at the same time too, I get the point of it too,” shared the 24-year-old forward. “Like, if you bet a lot of money on something, and you’re, like, one pick away and somebody messes it up, I understand the part of fans being mad. But it’s annoying, too, at times.”
In a previous game against the No. 9 Spartans, Bacot’s stellar performance, including five three-pointers and 17 points along with seven rebounds, helped calm his own fans’ nerves amidst the competitive matchup.
Bacot’s reflections coincide with recent efforts by the NCAA to collaborate with states in prohibiting proposition bets (prop bets) on college athletes. These types of bets allow gamblers to wager on specific player statistics during games, rather than solely on the final outcome.
Addressing the rising concerns surrounding sports betting, NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement on Wednesday via social media, stating, “Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting harassed.” Baker highlighted the NCAA’s ongoing collaboration with states to address these challenges, with many jurisdictions responding by outlawing college prop bets.
This discussion unfolds amidst a separate controversy in the NBA concerning prop bets, as the league confirmed an investigation into such bets involving Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, according to ESPN reports on Monday.
