Crank It Up

About Crank It Up

“The two [concerns] are the integrity of athletic competition, and how that could potentially be impacted by a proliferation of legalized sports wagering. And then the second is really the health and well-being of student athletes.“

Stevenson added that the NCAA is determined to keep local student organisations informed of key regulations. 

“Even though we are seeing legalization of sports wagering, it is still a violation of NCAA rules. I do think people and member institutions really need to make sure that their student athletes are aware, so that they don’t walk themselves into any kind of issues,” she said.

What is Crank It Up?

It said all interviewees had cooperated fully and some of them had “virtually little or no familiarity with the allegations contained in the report, as their job responsibilities fall outside the scope of these matters”.

Kugler told Spectrum “it was never his intention to provide incriminating information”. He said he had felt duped by Black Cube, and noted the person he had met with had disappeared after the report was released. He believed they had used a fake identity.

“Kugler’s position is that Evolution does not supply games to Iran. He stated that “I know we have players in Dubai”, Spectrum notes, in response to Black Cube’s claims.

What is Crank It Up?

During the livestream, the president stated that he had spoken with a woman who said her 26-year-old son had taken his own life because of online betting. He also mentioned hearing from a bettor who had racked up BRL2 million ($388,410) in debt in just three months of wagering.

Lula said he intends to discuss the matter with his team and analyse potential measures to consider the social impact of online betting.

What the president does not acknowledge is that the government relies on revenue from the sector. In just the first seven months of 2026, BRL8.747 billion generated by sports betting has already flowed into public coffers. The Federal Revenue Service estimates the total could reach BRL16 billion by the end of the year. In 2025, nearly BRL9 billion was collected from sportsbooks.