Former Hawkeye baseball player among those involved in probe into sports gambling

Hunter
08/02/23

A former Hawkeye baseball player is accused of placing online bets on U of I sporting events.

The Press-Citizen reports the Johnson County Attorney’s Office has filed a criminal complaint against  Gehrig Christensen for allegedly tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling.

According to the complaint, Christensen hid his identity by manipulating online transactions as if his mother was placing the bets.  Christensen, of Des Moines, allegedly used a Draft Kings account to place nearly 560 wagers while he was still underage. Those bets include nearly two dozen on University of Iowa sporting events totaling more than $2400.

Christensen reportedly used his personal iPhone to place the wagers, which was pinged to his residence at the University of Iowa and areas of campus not routinely open to the public.

According to court documents, Christensen’s mother helped set up the Draft Kings account and told investigators it was a “silly mistake” to do so. Christensen told DCI agents most of his wagers were made on NBA games.

The criminal complaint alleges Christensen made the bets between November 7th last year to February 7th this year.