Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has come under the spotlight after screenshots of past references to “sports gambling” surfaced on his Venmo account, but the incident has been dismissed as “inside jokes” with friends.
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is aware of the content and has opened a probe into the situation.
The screenshots that came to light on Monday (August 11) allegedly show Mateer inserting “sports gambling” as labels for transactions on November 20, 2022, made to an account in the name of Richard Roaten.
He is believed to be a former teammate at Washington State, where Mateer played at that time.
Student-athletes at college teams are strictly forbidden from betting on any sport under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banner, with harsh penalties for anyone found to be involved in gambling activity.
“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” said Mateer on X.
“My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question, but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.
“I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”
— John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) August 12, 2025
OU unaware of any current NCAA investigation on John Mateer
As it continues to gather information, OU Athletics released a statement declaring that it “takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situation of concern.”
The school added that it is “unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”
Mateer transferred from Washington to Oklahoma in the recent offseason, with the Sonners set to open their campaign at home against Illinois State on August 30.
For reasons on and off the field, OU will be keen to see the end of this matter, without another sports betting scandal emerging.
Last year, the NBA had to permanently ban Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter for betting on results he could have a direct influence on, with six people arrested overall.
More recently in the MLB, an investigation was opened into Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz, leading to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine calling for prop bets to be prohibited.
ReadWrite has contacted Oklahoma University, Washington State University, and the NCAA for further comment.
Image credit: Oklahoma Sooners via YouTube
