Current:Home > MyFormer Iowa kicker charged in gambling sting allegedly won a bet on the 2021 Iowa-Iowa St game-InfoLens
Former Iowa kicker charged in gambling sting allegedly won a bet on the 2021 Iowa-Iowa St game
View Date:2024-12-23 14:25:17
A former walk-on kicker at the University of Iowa was charged Wednesday in connection with wagering on Hawkeyes sports events — one day after Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers was accused of committing the same offense at his school.
Aaron Blom, who was on the Iowa roster from 2020-22, used a DraftKings Sportsbook account set up under his mother’s name and made about 170 mobile or online sports wagers before he turned 21, the legal gambling age in the state, according to the criminal complaint filed in Johnson County, Iowa.
The wagers totaled over $4,400, with about eight placed on Iowa sporting events. One of the bets included the 2021 Iowa-Iowa State football game, according to the complaint.
Blom is also accused in the complaint of tampering with records related to an Iowa Criminal Division investigation into sports gambling.
The bet Blom placed on the rivalry game was an over-under wager, which requires the bettor to choose whether the teams will combine for more or less than a designated combined point total. The over-under for the game was 45 points, and Iowa won 27-17 for a total of 44 points. Blom, who did not participate in the game, chose the under, according to the complaint.
His mother, Michelle Blom, told the Department of Criminal Investigations that the DraftKings account was registered under her name and used by her son with her consent and knowledge. Blom and his parents acknowledged they knew about his online wagering activity and agreed that he would be responsible for any tax implications.
The complaint did not list an attorney for Blom.
Blom, from Oskaloosa, Iowa, appeared in two games for the Hawkeyes, both last year. He kicked a 46-yard field goal against South Dakota State and kicked an extra point against Iowa State.
Dekkers is accused in a criminal complaint of placing 366 online bets worth more than $2,799. According to documents, those bets included 26 Iowa State athletic events and a 2021 football game with Oklahoma State when Dekkers was a backup. He did not play in the game, which Iowa State won 24-21.
Dekkers was expected to be the second-year starting quarterback for the Cyclones this season. His attorney said he would skip preseason camp.
In May, officials at Iowa State and Iowa announced they were cooperating with state gaming regulators who were investigating illegal online gambling on their campuses. Iowa said it identified 26 athletes in various sports that might have also compromised their NCAA eligibility. Iowa State at the time said about 15 athletes across three sports were suspected of violating gambling rules.
Three other current or former Iowa State athletes are facing the same charge, according to state online court records. Those include former Cyclones defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, who was drafted by Denver in 2022 and suspended indefinitely by the NFL for betting on Broncos games during his rookie season.
Also charged with tampering with records connected to the investigation, according to state online records, are offensive lineman Dodge Sauser and wrestler Paniro Johnson.
Dekkers participated in a scheme with his parents, Scott Dekkers and Jami Dekkers, to conceal his online gambling and made it appear that bets placed by Hunter Dekkers were made by his mother, the complaint said.
His attorney, Mark Weinhardt, said Dekkers would plead not guilty to the criminal charge.
Experts have predicted that college sports will continue to see gambling scandals as betting becomes more accepted in states following a Supreme Court ruling five years ago. The topic grabbed headlines earlier this year after Alabama’s baseball coach, Brian Bohannon, and two Cincinnati baseball staffers were let go due to their connection to gambling investigations.
The NCAA recently stiffened punishment for athletes found to have bet on their games, influenced the outcome of those games, bet on other sports at their school or knowingly provided information to someone engaged in sports betting.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
veryGood! (6481)
Related
- Kathy Bates likes 'not having breasts' after her cancer battle: 'They were like 10 pounds'
- Inside RHOM Star Nicole Martin’s Luxurious Baby Shower Planned by Costar Guerdy Abraira
- Discrimination lawsuit brought by transgender athlete sent back to Minnesota trial court
- $510 Dodgers jerseys and $150 caps. Behold the price of being an Ohtani fan in Japan
- King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
- DAY6 returns with 'Fourever': The album reflects who the band is 'at this moment'
- Love Is Blind's Chelsea and Jimmy Reunite Again in Playful Video
- Gray whale dies after it washed ashore Malibu beach: Experts hope to figure out why
- Kentucky officer reprimanded for firing non-lethal rounds in 2020 protests under investigation again
- North Carolina lands syringe-manufacturing plant that will employ 400
Ranking
- Record-setting dry conditions threaten more US wildfires, drinking water supplies
- Why Bella Hadid's Morning Wellness Routine Is Raising Eyebrows
- Bettors counting on upsets as they put money on long shots this March Madness
- Chicago-area man gets 18 years for 2021 drunken driving crash that killed 3
- Steelers shoot for the moon ball, but will offense hold up or wilt in brutal final stretch?
- Psst, the Best Vacuum Cleaners are on Sale at Walmart Right Now: Bissell, Dyson, Shark & More
- DAY6 returns with 'Fourever': The album reflects who the band is 'at this moment'
- Singer R. Kelly seeks appeals court relief from 30-year prison term
Recommendation
-
Why Amanda Seyfried Traded Living in Hollywood for Life on a Farm in Upstate New York
-
When does 'Euphoria' Season 3 come out? Sydney Sweeney says filming begins soon
-
Best Micellar Water for Removing Your Makeup and Cleansing Your Face
-
High-profile elections in Ohio could give Republicans a chance to expand clout in Washington
-
GreenBox Systems will spend $144 million to build an automated warehouse in Georgia
-
LeBron scores 25, D’Angelo Russell ties Lakers 3-pointers record in LA’s 136-105 win over Hawks
-
Wales elects Vaughan Gething, first Black national leader in Europe
-
Rob Lowe's son John Owen trolls dad on his 60th birthday with a John Stamos pic