Only days before the Austin Westlake football team plays for its fifth Texas state championship, athletic director Callan Nokes made a startling discovery.
The game has a betting line.
Offshore gaming site BetOnline initially anointed undefeated North Crowley a four-point favorite over once-beaten Westlake and has since increased the spread to 5.5. The Panama-based online sportsbook is accepting bets of up to $500 on Saturday’s Texas state title matchup.
While Nokes concedes that betting on pro and college sports is becoming “more and more accepted in America,” he argues that mixing gambling and high school football is fraught with unusual risk. Nokes feared that it could incentivize underrage gambling, increase the threat of corruption and game-fixing and potentially threaten the integrity of the high school game.
