NCAA Gambling Lawsuit Moves Forward Thanks To Appeals Court

The NCAA is much like the NFL when it comes to gambling on their sport, a general assertion exists that the NCAA is against any form of gambling on their sports. On Friday, however, it was the NCAA that was defending themselves against gambling allegations.

A federal appeals court in Chicago ruled on Friday that an Indianapolis judge must give a hearing to a class-action lawsuit being brought against the NCAA. The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA's tournament ticket distribution is a form of unregulated gambling.

The NCAA charges a fee to enter into a sweepstakes to win the right to buy sporting event tickets at face value. The NCAA claims it is a fair way for fans to get tickets without having to pay scalpers above and beyond the price of the tickets.

The lawsuit contends that the fees being paid for this service are going towards making coffers richer. The suit also states that in Indiana, no entities are legally allowed to run a lottery other than the state itself. The NCAA was unhappy with the decision by the appeals court.

"The NCAA is disappointed by and disagrees with the court's decision," said Spokesman Erik Christianson, "and we are considering our options. The NCAA provides an appropriate, fair, and legal mechanism to distribute tickets that gives fans the opportunity to participate in championship events."

The Final Four is one of the events that has been targeted by consumers. Tickets for the Final Four are scarce in comparison to the demand, and scalpers can make thousands of dollars in profit from selling just one ticket to the event. The NCAA is attempting to combat the scalping problem, but the class-action suit claims the NCAA is doing so illegally.

July 17, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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