Iowa State Quarterback Hunter Dekkers Allegedly Wagers on Cyclones Games
Hunter Dekkers, the starting quarterback for the Iowa State Cyclones, is under fire for allegedly wagering on Iowa State sporting events, including one college football match. He played 12 games as a junior last season, leading the team to a mediocre 4-8 record and missing out on a bowl game. Dekkers was earmarked as the starter for this season.
In May, the NCAA notified the public that several student-athletes had broken the gambling rules, with 15 players from Iowa State being among them. However, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission clarified that the betting markets weren't impacted by the student-athletes or bets placed.
Brian Ohorilko, administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, stated, "We currently don't have any indication that there are any issues that would raise doubt on the integrity of the markets that have been offered from those two universities."
With Dekkers being one of the four athletes from Iowa State caught in the investigation, the others being Paniro Johnson, Dodge Sauser, and Eyioma Uwazurike. Uwazurike, a former member of the Iowa State football team, played defensive line for the Denver Broncos last season. The NFL recently imposed a betting suspension on Uwazurike due to his bets on pro football games as a rookie with the Broncos.
Dekkers Placed Bets on 26 Iowa State Events
A criminal complaint filed with the Iowa District Court for Story County explains that Dekkers placed 366 wagers through DraftKings, totalling $2,799. More than 26 of these wagers were on Iowa State sporting events, with one being a college football game. Dekkers averaged small wagers below $8 per bet, and the bulk of his bets were when he was still below the legal betting age of 21. He even placed a wager on an Iowa State football game on October 23, 2021, when he was solely a spectator during Iowa State's win over Oklahoma State, 24-21.
His lawyer, Mark Weinhardt, revealed that Dekkers plans to enter a not guilty plea for all charges. However, Dekkers will withdraw from the team in the interim to concentrate on his academic pursuits and his defense of these criminal charges.
If Dekkers can't attend any games, Iowa State may have to start redshirt freshman Rocco Becht instead. The team also has Tanner Hughes, a Butte College transfer, and incoming freshman J.J. Kohl listed on their roster.
Johnson, Wrestling Champion, Also Caught
Paniro Johnson, a sophomore wrestler who won a Big 12 Conference wrestling title in the 149-pound weight class last season, was also accused of betting on Iowa State sports. He made a total of 1,283 bets worth $45,640.
Dodge Sauser, a sophomore football player, was an offensive lineman for Iowa State. He, too, bet on Iowa State contests, but he did not compete in any games during his career. Sauser wagered a total of $3,075 on Iowa State games through DraftKings, with 12 of his bets being on football games.
Eyioma Uwazurike, a star defensive lineman for the Cyclones, bet on Iowa State games he played in during the 2021 season. Uwazurike made 801 online wagers worth $21,300.
The Denver Broncos picked Uwazurike in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Even though he had a strong rookie season, he was expected to vie for a starting D-lineman role this upcoming year. The NFL suspended Uwazurike in July for gambling on NFL games. The suspension may be indefinite, but he could potentially appeal for reinstatement a year after the league's original decision.
Uwazurike is now one of the 10 NFL players whom the NFL has suspended for violating its betting policy. The league disciplined five players in April and another four in June.
The initial complaint implies that all four Iowa State athletes allegedly tried to conceal their identities when placing bets. Additionally, Dekkers, Johnson, and Sauser supposedly used third-party accounts for their bets due to being underage.
DraftKings' mobile sports betting app became operational in Iowa in February 2020.
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Source: www.casino.org
