University of Texas Fires Two Employees for Sports Betting Violations

Digital Monitoring Catches Athletic Department Staff

The University of Texas has terminated two employees following a comprehensive investigation into sports gambling violations that exposed a troubling pattern of rule-breaking within the athletic department. The terminations came after Texas officials alerted the NCAA of six violations regarding sports wagering from January to October 2025 , marking the second consecutive year the university has faced such violations.

All six violations were flagged by ProhiBet, a service made necessary by the Southeastern Conference prior to 2023-24. ProhiBet cross checks financial data from school employees with a variety of gambling sites and applications, making for a simple flagging of the violator's placed bets . This sophisticated monitoring system has become the NCAA's primary weapon against gambling violations, with the Southeastern Conference mandating that its member institutions implement ProhiBet since the 2023-24 academic year .

The scale of the violations was relatively modest but widespread. In all, 121 wagers were placed by the six individuals flagged for gambling violations, with a not-so-grand total of just under $1,100 wagered . Despite the small dollar amounts, the university took swift action against violators, with two individuals "immediately" terminated when the compliance department learned of their charges .

Texas Legal Gray Area Creates Confusion

Sports gambling is not technically legal in Texas. But the recent report and dismissals illustrate a growing grey area in which there are actually little-to-no guardrails on the ability to place bets via popular Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) websites or applications. These businesses—namely PrizePicks and Underdog—are legal in Texas, and they allow users to place a variety of bets on player-related stats .

This legal ambiguity has created genuine confusion among university employees. Confusion seemed to arise for Texas employees, one of whom noted they were unaware on a ban of Prize Picks and similar sites . The situation highlights how rapidly evolving gambling laws and technologies are outpacing traditional enforcement mechanisms, leaving employees uncertain about what constitutes permissible activity.

The university's response has evolved significantly since implementing monitoring technology. Lori Hammond, Texas' senior associate AD for Risk Management and Compliance Services, noted that monitoring technology like ProhiBet has been "instrumental in helping us identify and prevent the behaviors." She explained that "prior to its implementation, we solely relied on educational efforts as there was no means to monitor" .

Growing National Problem Across College Sports

Texas is far from alone in facing these challenges. In total, about 100 sports wagering violations were reported to the NCAA in 2024, up from around 50 in 2023 , indicating a doubling of detected violations as monitoring technology becomes more sophisticated and widespread. The increase likely reflects both improved detection capabilities and a genuine rise in gambling activity among college sports personnel.

The enforcement technology has proven remarkably effective at catching violations that might otherwise go undetected. Monitoring technology flagged one account when an employee attempted to log in and view transaction history for tax purposes , demonstrating how comprehensive the surveillance system has become. ProhiBet cross-checks an individual's personal data against the data used to register with sportsbooks and daily fantasy websites , creating an almost inescapable digital net.

Future Implications for College Athletics

The Texas case represents a broader shift in how universities approach compliance in the digital age. What began as an honor system relying on education and self-reporting has evolved into sophisticated technological surveillance that can detect violations in real-time. This transformation raises important questions about privacy, trust, and the changing nature of employment in college athletics.

Universities nationwide are grappling with similar challenges as the gambling landscape continues to evolve. Given the spread of sports gambling across the nation at large, expect a similar report to arise next winter, both at Texas, and programs across the NCAA . The combination of legal gambling expansion, technological monitoring capabilities, and strict NCAA rules creates a perfect storm that will likely produce more violations and terminations in the coming years.

The Texas firings serve as a stark reminder that even small-scale gambling violations can have serious career consequences in college athletics, where the stakes for maintaining integrity have never been higher.