Iowa, ISU athletes accused of illegal sports betting

Seven Iowa State and Iowa athletes are facing criminal charges stemming from a sports betting investigation, the Iowa Department of Public Safety shared Monday.

Why it matters: The NCAA prohibits athletes from betting on their own games or sports, which can result in partial or permanent ineligibility.

What happened: Current and former football, baseball and wrestling athletes are accused of betting on their own games or sports.

• All are charged with one count of tampering with records for allegedly hiding their identities and pretending to be other people when making their wagers.
• The charges are considered aggravated misdemeanors punishable by a maximum of two years imprisonment.

State of play: Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers is the most prominent local athlete accused of betting on Iowa State events.

• Dekkers allegedly bet on an Iowa State football game against Oklahoma State in 2021 that he did not play in. He was under 21 years old— the legal gambling age — but his parents allegedly helped hide his identity so he could wager, according to ESPN
• He is accused of making 366 bets totaling $2,799 on DraftKings, including 26 on Iowa State sporting events, according to KCCI.

Zoom in: Other athletes named in the investigation include former ISU defensive end and current Denver Bronco Eyioma Uwazurike, ISU wrestler and Big 12 champion Paniro Johnson and Ahron Ulis, a former Iowa basketball player who transferred to Nebraska.

What's next: Dekkers pleaded not guilty and will not attend fall camp, ESPN reports.