SEC to Require Sports Gambling Education for All Athletes
DESTIN, Fla. – The Southeastern Conference will require all student-athletes to complete sports gambling education before competing in the 2026-27 season.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The conference announced the mandate during its spring meetings in Destin, Florida. Under the policy, every SEC athlete must watch a custom-designed educational video before taking part in their team’s first regular-season game.
The programme is designed to explain sports betting risks, NCAA and SEC rules, and how athletes can report suspicious gambling-related activity.
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SEC Points to Betting and Prediction Market Risks
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said the rise of sports betting has made gambling education a priority for the conference.
“The Southeastern Conference remains committed to supporting its member institutions and student-athletes through proactive education, monitoring, and resources that promote integrity and protect the student-athlete experience”, Sankey said.
He added that recent gambling incidents in college and professional sport, along with developments around prediction markets, had made the issue more urgent.
The SEC said the video will provide practical guidance on recognising betting-related risks and understanding the policies athletes must follow.
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The new requirement expands the SEC’s existing sports wagering integrity programme.
The conference already works with IC360, formerly US Integrity, to monitor betting activity in real time. It has also used ProhiBet, a monitoring system designed to detect prohibited sports wagering activity.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the SEC introduced athlete availability reports for football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball. The conference has also promoted a sports gambling tip line that allows athletes, coaches and staff to report suspicious activity anonymously.
SEC officials said the new training will become part of annual compliance education across member schools.
College Sports Faces Growing Betting Pressure
The policy comes as college sports face growing pressure from legal sports betting, athlete prop markets and prediction platforms.
The SEC cited survey data suggesting that about 58% of people aged 18 to 22 have participated in sports betting, with higher engagement among students living on college campuses.
The conference also said about $12 billion was wagered during the 2025-26 academic year on games involving at least one SEC team through regulated sportsbooks and prediction markets.
For the SEC, the mandatory education programme is meant to reduce integrity risks before the season begins, while giving athletes clearer information on rules, reporting channels and the consequences of prohibited betting.
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