Prompted by harassment of players by gambling fans, advocates for college and professional athletes appeared before a Senate committee on Dec. 17 to call for legislation that would rein in sports betting.
NCAA President Charlie Baker and NFL Players Association representative and former player Johnson Bademosi told the Senate Judiciary Committee about the negative consequences of sports betting on sports and athletes alike, and urged Congress to help protect athletes.
Bademosi, who played nine years as an NFL cornerback, spoke about gambling’s negative impacts on professional athletes. “Players have always had pressure to perform well for professional achievements and to win games, but sports betting has added a new and complex layer to this issue,” he said in his opening statement. …