NCAA Invites Casino Linesmakers to Help Combat Gambling Fixes
Las Vegas sports line makers were among the invited attendees at a seminar to prevent gambling issues from affecting the integrity of professional and collegiate sporting events. Kornegay and Ken White of the Las Vegas Sports Consultants went to the meeting held August 14th and 15th in Indianapolis.
Representatives from various law enforcement agencies were at the gathering, including agents of the FBI. Also there were officials from all four major professional sports leagues, as well as event organizers, who represented the NCAA.
Both legal and sports organizations have come to realize that sportsbooks and casinos have as much interest in keeping the games honest as they do. When a game is fixed or a match thrown, the target of the scam is invariably a book, at which the perpetrators will attempt to lay down heavy bets to take advantage of their inside information.
In Europe, online gambling sites have cooperated with authorities for quite some time, reporting unusual betting patterns or suspicious wagering. Much of the data that led to the uncovering of recent tennis and soccer betting scandals was revealed to law enforcement by betting agencies.
Apparently, American sports officials have come to grips with the idea that bookies are not necessarily their enemies. Agencies and individuals taking sports play depend on an honest game to set a proper line and regulate the balance of wagers.
Kornegay White said of the trip, "... our relationship with the NCAA and the major sports has really improved over the last few years... We welcome the relationship. We're all working together to ensure the integrity of the games."
