Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is facing questions over alleged Venmo transactions that would imply violations of the NCAA’s sports betting policy.
Screenshots circulated on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday showing Mateer’s supposed Venmo account sending two payments for “sports gambling” in 2022 while the quarterback was at Washington State.
Key Takeaways
- Mateer allegedly sent payments to an associate for “sports gambling.”
- The Venmo account that received the payments is allegedly linked to a former Washington State football player.
- Mateer transferred from Washington State to Oklahoma after last season.
Mateer’s supposed involvement is just a rumor at this point. As reported by SoonerScoop on Tuesday morning, University of Oklahoma officials are aware of the screenshots that surfaced online, and Mateer has denied any involvement in online gambling.
The NCAA has not provided any comment on the matter.
The images that circulated show Mateer paying Richard Roaten on Nov. 20, 2022. Roaten’s alleged Venmo account shows an image of a man wearing a Washington State #59 jersey, which, according to Washington State’s website, belonged to Landon Roaten for the 2022 season.
The transactions were removed from public view on Venmo shortly after the screenshots went viral.
Mateer was a freshman at Washington State at the time of the alleged transactions. Roaten and his twin brother, Luke, now both play football at Abilene Christian University.
One of the transactions said that Mateer’s “sports gambling” payment to Roaten was for “UCLA vs. USC.”
College football’s famed UCLA-USC rivalry includes yearly matchups between the two teams, one of which occurred on Nov. 19, 2022. Caleb Williams-led USC won that encounter in a shootout, 48-45.
A third alleged transaction from Roaten to Mateer, dated Nov. 23, 2022, for “Ultra sports gambling FIFA World Cup,” was also circulated online.
Possible punishments for Mateer
The NCAA explicitly forbids student athletes from betting on amateur and professional sports. The NCAA has recently considered amending its standards to allow its players to wager on professional leagues while maintaining a ban on college sports wagering. However, that change has not been enacted.
Punishments for sports betting infractions aren’t as draconian as they once were. The NCAA’s new rules match the amount of money wagered to a percentage-based loss of eligibility and/or educational courses. The full range of outcomes is:
- $200 or less: sports wagering rules and prevention education
- $201-500: loss 10% eligibility for one season, plus education
- $501-800: Loss of 20% eligibility for one season, plus education
- $801+: Loss of at least 30% eligibility for one season, plus education
Athletes found to have wagered more than $800 could potentially forfeit their entire collegiate eligibility based on the NCAA reinstatement staff’s ruling.
When Mateer allegedly made the Venmo transaction in 2022, the NCAA was much quicker to declare an athlete ineligible for a season or permanently for sports betting violations.
A complex case
Sports betting in Washington was legalized in 2021, but online sports betting was limited to the campus grounds at the state’s tribal casinos. Mateer, who would’ve only been 18 in 2022, wouldn’t have been old enough to enter a casino or to use a licensed sports betting app.
The alleged Venmo images suggest that Mateer either made a bet directly with Roaten or used an illegal bookie to make his wagers. That would likely make an NCAA investigation more difficult than if Mateer had used a legal sportsbook, which keeps logs of all customer transactions.
Mateer, who is preparing for his first season at Oklahoma, is 12th in odds to win the Heisman at FanDuel Sportsbook. He totaled 3,139 passing yards, 826 rushing yards, 44 total touchdowns, and seven interceptions during his sophomore season at Washington State last year.
