Why It's Ok for Ty Lawson to Gamble

by Bodog Casino | Apr 14 2009

Isn't it funny...that you can drop your life savings in Vegas or in any racetrack around the country (you have to be 21 in the U.S. to place a bet), yet you can star in any "Debbie Does..." video as soon as you hit 18. And apparently, even if you are 21, you shouldn't be in a casino if you're part of prestigious a NCAA program.

Before North Carolina snatched another b-ball National Title, Ty Lawson, the 21-year-old star guard for the Tar Heels, and junior Marc Campbell, 22, took advantage of some free time before the big game and played some Craps at a local casino. Good news is, Lawson won $250. The bad news, the media caught wind of their gaming and got their panties in a bunch.

Tar Heels coach Roy Williams had to come to Lawson and Campbell's defense.

"They're both old enough," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said "It is legal. . . . It's strange, if we don't want these kids [gambling], don't put the Final Four in a city where the casino is 500 yards from our front door. And they've got a great buffet in there. I mean, come on."

Coach Williams is 100 percent correct, it is perfectly within NCAA rules for any student athlete who is of age to play Craps or any other casino game until the sun comes up. What is not legal is for them to place any sports bets; which is perfectly understandable. Nobody wants to see any college athletes turn into the next Pete Rose.

Williams was quick to point out the hypocrisy of some people when it comes to casino gaming. If the Heels hadn't reached the Final Four he would've been in a hotel in Windsor, Ontario that's well known to those that enjoy gambling.

"You know where I was supposed to stay? Caesar's Palace [Windsor]. The dunk contest last night, the three-point shot contest? Who is it sponsored by? A casino. What a great country we live in."
Lawson and Campbell weren't the only Heels to gamble before the final either. Coach Williams himself dropped some dollars on the Craps tables. And, surprisingly, he made sure he lost. North Carolina is undefeated when the coach loses his shirt in the casino before a game.

Because of there's always a chance a top-tier athlete may go too far and place a sports bet on his own team in a casino - or even worse, bet against his own squad and subsequently sabotage them for a payday - there are those who want athletes to steer clear of any gaming establishment. But that's the equivalent of preventing student athletes from going to a bar for a drink because there's a chance they may do something stupid.

The line has to be drawn somewhere in terms of how much their lives should be controlled because they are on the national stage. They're human just like everyone else, and should be treated as such. There's nothing wrong with any pro or college athlete enjoying some casino games, as long as they stick to casino games only.

"It's not like I go there every day," Lawson said. "We were here three days before a game and there was nothing else to do, so I went over there with a couple teammates and just played." 

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