Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, a prominent player for the Cyclones, has been accused of betting on events involving his team, including a 2021 football game.
He is one of four current or former athletes at the university facing charges related to tampering with records amid an ongoing probe by the Iowa Criminal Division.
According to an affidavit included with the criminal complaint filed on Monday in the Iowa District Court for Story County, approximately 366 bets totaling $2,799 were placed on a DraftKings sportsbook account linked to Dekkers.
Out of these bets, 26 were on Iowa State sporting events.
The affidavit further alleges that Dekkers placed a bet on an Iowa State football game against Oklahoma State on October 23, 2021, a game the Cyclones won 24-21. However, it does not disclose the team he bet on or the type of bet he made.
Moreover, the affidavit suggests that Dekkers bet on most of these events while he was under the legal betting age in Iowa (21). It is claimed that he used the help of his parents, Scott and Jami Dekkers, to disguise his identity.
Iowa State QB Hunter Dekker was betting on CFB, including Iowa State games.
-366 wagers placed
-$2799 in total wagered. pic.twitter.com/7IZs4UJLRy— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) August 1, 2023
DraftKings has not yet responded to the matter.
Dekkers, a junior who started all 12 games for the Cyclones last season, was expected to be their starting quarterback for the upcoming 2023 season. However, his attorney, Mark Weinhardt, stated that Dekkers will plead not guilty to the charge and will temporarily step away from the team to focus on his studies and the defense against the criminal charge.
“So he can focus on his studies and on the defense of this criminal charge, Hunter has informed the University and the coaching staff that he cannot participate in fall football camp,” said Weinhardt in a statement.
Iowa State’s football season opens on September 2, against Northern Iowa, and the team now faces uncertainty with the absence of their expected starting quarterback.
The school has limited proven depth behind Dekkers, with redshirt freshman Rocco Becht originally in line to back him up.
The NCAA has recently updated its penalties for student-athletes who violate its gambling policy. Violators, especially those who bet on their own games or other sports at their own school, could face a potential permanent loss of collegiate eligibility.
Apart from Dekkers, other current Iowa State athletes, Paniro Johnson (sophomore wrestler) and Dodge Sauser (sophomore football player), as well as former Cyclones football player Eyioma Uwazurike, have also been charged with tampering with records according to the criminal complaint.
Sauser made approximately 113 online bets worth $3,075, with 12 wagers on Iowa State football games, while Johnson is alleged to have placed about 1,283 bets online worth more than $45,600, with around 25 bets on Iowa State athletic events.
Uwazurike, a fourth-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2022, was recently suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating their gambling policy. The complaint against him alleges he made 801 bets online for more than $21,300, with four wagers on Iowa State football games and a total of five Broncos games.
The investigation is ongoing, and both the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission have not yet commented on the matter.
With legalized gambling becoming more and more available and accepted, do you expect more of these stories going forward?