Iowa Student Athletes Gambling Lawsuit

A total of 26 Iowa student athletes filed a civil lawsuit on Friday stemming from the state’s sports gambling investigations. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Des Moines, Iowa, and listed 17 Iowa athletes, eight Iowa State athletes and one community college athlete.

Many of those who were listed as plaintiffs on the lawsuit pled guilty to underage gambling. Identity theft charges, for using somebody else’s name in creating an online sports betting account, were then dropped.

The Iowa student athletes gambling lawsuit charges the athletes’ fourth and 14th amendment rights were violated.

The lawsuit was filed by attorneys Van Plumb and Matthew Boles and is 47 pages long. The defendants are the State of Iowa, Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Five individuals, working in their capacities for one of the departments, were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

One of the key issues was the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation and its use of GeoComply’s Kibana software. Warrantless searches pertaining to online gambling sites were conducted. That helped prompt the Iowa student athletes gambling lawsuit.

“The lives of these young men have been disrupted and altered in a way still yet to be fully seen,” the attorneys said in a statement. “Many of them have had their athletic careers ended, due to the State of Iowa’s unconstitutional use of GeoComply’s Kibana software. It is our hope that through civil action we can help these young men put their lives back on track and gain a measure of justice for the violation of their rights.”

Plaintiffs Seeking Monetary Damages

The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount in damages for the plaintiffs. It asks for “Actual and Compensatory Damages including, but not limited to past, present, and future pain and suffering and medical expenses.” It also asks for punitive damages, in addition to court costs and lawyer fees.

While not all of the athletes received criminal charges, attorneys said they suffered “loss of playing time, the threat of NCAA or NFL sanctions and/or damage to their athletic career.”

The lawsuit also asks for a trial by jury. That’s not surprising, since there was backlash against the state over the way the matter was handled. A jury could be more favorable to the plaintiffs than a judge.

All of the 26 athletes are listed individually and say how they were affected by the state’s actions.

For former Iowa defensive back Harry Bracy, the lawsuit states, “On September 14, 2023, before the disclosure of Defendants’ conduct alleged herein, Bracy entered into a plea agreement with the State wherein Bracy pled guilty to Underage Gambling in violation of Iowa Code §725.19(1).

As a result of the charges levied against Bracy, Bracy was forced to sit out the entire 2023-2024 football season. Due to Defendants’ actions and/or failures, Bracy’s collegiate experience and future opportunities have been detrimentally affected.”

State officials have refused to comment on the Iowa student athletes gambling lawsuit. Several of those mentioned in the lawsuit previously stated their belief that they’re actions were legal.

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