Sports Betting Hearing Taken Over by Anti-Trans Rants

NCAA President Charlie Baker faced the U.S. Senate on December 17 for sports betting regulations. Instead he faced anti-trans rants and derailing for what chalked up to be 13 minutes.

Baker appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee alongside Johnson Bademosi, a representative for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). According to ESPN, their appearance was to urge more federal regulation of sports betting. Not only is it becoming a far too accessible addiction for many Americans, but it also is putting players at risk as the fans’ behavior becomes more abusive.

Instead, however, the conversation was taken over by Republican senators Josh Hawley (MI) and John Kennedy (LA), who grilled Baker about the NCAA’s policies regarding trans athletes participating in leagues that match their gender identities. Their policy used to be that they could compete after one year of medically suppressing testosterone, but in 2022, that changed to be restricted on a sport-by-sport basis. Of course, Hawley and Kennedy take the stance that no trans woman athletes be allowed to compete in women’s sports. This has become a major part of the GOP’s agenda.

Hawley and Kennedy made all of the usual ill-informed and often under-studied and wrong points. Baker stood his ground against both of their major statements: that trans women have a physiological advantage over their peers (there is both not enough research done on this, and there is research showing that they actually are competing at a disadvantage in some regards, such as oxygen consumption), and that there is no federal law saying that they have to allow trans women to compete in women’s leagues. Baker fired back, saying that federal judges in the past had “sided with participation.”

Hawley then brought up that the policy allowing trans women to use the locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms matching their identity was “indefensible.” He referenced the pending lawsuit against the NCAA by several former college swimmers, including anti-trans campaigner Riley Gaines. He also claimed that five women’s college volleyball teams have “had to concede” to San Jose State University because one of their players is allegedly trans. While several teams have had to concede to SJSU, none were forced, and SJSU has denied any attempts to reveal the gender identities of its players.

What did any of this have to do with sports betting? Great question! One I too am wondering. Hawley and Kennedy have a long reputation of spreading anti-trans rhetoric, from rants about trans inclusive pregnancy terminology, and saying the trans movement has spiraled into insanity. They also are both from states where sports betting is becoming a booming industry. In Missouri, voters approved an amendment legalizing sports betting services, which could lead to an increase in problem gambling. In Louisiana, a Republican sponsored bill to increase taxes on gambling was shot down earlier this year, as casinos railed against it.