Rep. Patronis Asks ACC to Disclose Its Sports Betting Policies

Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Florida Republican, has asked the Atlantic Coast Conference to share its policies on online sports betting for staff, referees and others tied to its games. He sent the letter on Thursday, October 22, 2026, to ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and the conference's board of directors, according to Outkick on Fox News.

Patronis said the request was prompted by the ACC's backing of the Protect College Sports Act, a wide-ranging federal bill covering name, image and likeness rights, revenue sharing, athlete health and safety and transfers. In his letter he wrote that a conference asking Congress for help with NIL should be open about how it handles online betting.

Patronis asked for the ACC's online gambling policies to cover staff members, officials and other interested parties, and wants them before Congress returns in November. He also questioned how the conference protects the integrity of competition as sports betting becomes more widespread. 

OutKick reported that the ACC has been involved in lobbying around the bill, which conference leaders have described as a route to more consistent national rules. A response from the ACC was not available at the time of publication.

Where The Bill Stands

The Protect College Sports Act of 2026, S. 4668, was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz on June 2, 2026. The Senate Commerce Committee reported it on June 24 and the full Senate passed it 77-22 on September 28, according to its Congress.gov record. 

The House received it on October 5, 2026 and it is being held at the desk, so no House vote has been scheduled in the record.

That timing explains why the letter lands now. Patronis set a deadline tied to the House's return, which puts any ACC reply in front of lawmakers while the bill is waiting for action.

How Betting Rules Apply In College Sports

The NCAA already bans betting on any sport in which it sponsors a championship, across all three divisions. In November 2025 two-thirds of Division I schools voted to rescind a rule change that would have let athletes and athletics staff bet on professional sports, so the full ban stayed in place, the NCAA said. The association adds that conferences and schools can set stricter rules of their own, which is the area Patronis is probing.

For bettors, the practical point is integrity. Several ACC schools sit in states with regulated mobile wagering, including North Carolina, where betting has been legal since March 2024. 

Clear conference policies on who can bet and what information staff can share are part of how those markets stay credible for fans who wager on college games.

The next thing to watch is whether the ACC publishes its policies or answers Patronis before November, and when the House takes up S. 4668.