The Sacred Heart University poll also found 75% believe corruption concerns extend beyond the NBA, following a spring survey reporting more than 60% of Americans worry legalisation increases risks of corruption.
A new gambling survey from Sacred Heart University suggests trust in NBA integrity is wobbling as recent gambling scandals fuel doubts among fans and bettors.
The university released findings last week from a poll that found 79% of sports bettors said the recent sports betting scandals are affecting their trust in the integrity of NBA games. Nearly 40% of those bettors said the investigations are impacting their trust “a lot”.
Sacred Heart partnered with GreatBlue Research on the 23-question survey of 500 US sports bettors conducted during the first week of November. The survey has a 4.3% margin of error and was weighted according to age, gender and education.
With their trust impacted, nearly 36% of respondents said the investigations make them less likely to bet on the NBA. Of those, 45% plan a shift to other professional leagues like the NFL. More than 27% said they intend to reduce sports betting overall.
Still, nearly 30% said they are more likely to bet on NBA games.
“The kneejerk reaction among nearly a third of respondents to switch, at least temporarily, from betting on NBA games isn’t surprising,” Andrew Miller, director of Sacred Heart’s sports communication and media graduate programme, said in a release. “What was interesting is how many – close to 30% – said they’re now more likely to bet on NBA games, perhaps assuming games will be more closely monitored.”
With recent NCAA and MLB investigations also emerging, 75% of the respondents said they believe corruption extends beyond the NBA. A similar percentage said they now question the integrity of college athletics.
NBA gambling scandal hits earlier concerns
Sacred Heart previously released an Effects of Sports Gambling Poll in the spring. That poll, conducted well before the latest NBA scandals, found more than 60% of Americans were concerned that legalised sports betting increases the risk of corruption in sports.
“While sports betting is now widely accepted and easily accessible, a clear majority of Americans are uneasy about the potential for corruption and the erosion of fair play,” Miller said at the time. “And while the question wasn’t included in the survey, obvious solutions might include advocacy for regulators, legislators and law and game enforcement to be more vigilant and more public service outreach around potential gambling problems such as addiction.”
Coaches, players should take responsibility
Nearly half of the respondents said they believe individual players and coaches should be more accountable for gambling violations.
Leagues and sportsbooks took smaller blame, with 20% of bettors saying leagues should take responsibility. Just over 13% of bettors said sports betting platforms should take the heat.
More than 80% of respondents said they support stricter enforcement, including 44% “strongly” supporting more oversight.
Older respondents were more likely to place responsibility on individual players and coaches. Younger demographics placed accountability with the sportsbooks.
Sports betting advertising increases risks
Nearly 70% of bettors believe that sports betting advertising might encourage “risky or unethical behaviour”. More than 30% of those bettors are “very concerned”. The concerns are higher in older gamblers, men and college-aged bettors.
Fewer than 10% of bettors reported having no concern about the effect of sports betting advertising.
In Sacred Heart’s poll from the spring, more than 26% of Americans believe the amount of gambling-related coverage in sports is “too much”.
“Gambling is making sports more interactive for viewers, but many people – especially those most engaged – are seeing firsthand how quickly it can become problematic,” Sacred Heart Sport Management Program Director Josh Shuart said then.
Lawmakers in the US are wary of the deluge of sports betting advertising since the overturning of PASPA in 2018. Gambling advertising is at the heart of several legislative proposals, including the SAFE Bet Act from US Rep. Paul Tonko and Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Sacred Heart, located in Connecticut, plans to conduct a follow-up survey in spring 2026.