Richmond baseball bans were for online gambling – ESPN

Five University of Richmond baseball players were suspended for betting money on sporting events, an NCAA spokesperson told ESPN on Thursday. The wagering was done on gambling websites.

The amounts wagered by the players were believed to be small and there were no indications of point-shaving or game-fixing, a source familiar with the case told ESPN. It was not revealed which sports the players were betting on.

Richmond announced the suspension of five baseball players on Feb. 17, and initial reports indicated the bans were due to involvement in fantasy sports. The NCAA now says those reports were inaccurate.

"According to the facts of the case submitted the University of Richmond, the baseball student-athletes wagered money on sporting events using gambling websites," an NCAA spokesperson said Thursday. "Contrary to previous media reports, these cases did not include fantasy sports wagering."

Richmond announced Thursday that four of the players had been reinstated and were eligible to return to action next week against George Washington. The fifth player will be reinstated prior to the 2018 season, the university said. The university did not identify the players.

"We appreciate the efforts of our compliance department and NCAA staff in getting this matter resolved," Richmond athletic director Keith Gill said in a statement released Thursday by the university. "We will continue to work with the NCAA and our compliance staff to identify strategies for our student-athletes to avoid future NCAA rules violations"

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Richmond baseball bans were for online gambling - ESPN